radioactivity

who discovered radioactivity?

henri becquerel
who discovered polonium and radium

pierre and marie curie
define radioactivity

spontaneous breaking up of unstable nuclei with the emission of one or more types of radiation
three types of radiation
- >alpha
- >beta
- >gamma
what are alpha particles

helium nuclei (two protons two neutrons)
what are beta particles

electrons
how is radiation detected

geiger-muller tube
half life of an element

life taken for half the nuclei in any given sample to decay
what are radioisotopes used in?
- >archaeology
- >agricultural research
- >food irradiation
- >smoke alarms
- >in industry
what happens when an atom loses an alpha particle

changes into an atom of an element two places before it.. mass number decreases by four
what happens when an atom loses a beta particle

changes into an atom of an element one place after it.. mass number stays the same

Author

murphyainec

115451

Card Set

radioactivity

Description

chapter 8

Updated

2011-11-08T18:54:46Z

Show Answers