The Rutherford-Geiger-Marsden Experiment Evidence for the structure of the atom was discovered by Ernest Rutherford in the beginning of the 20th century from the study of α-particle scattering The ...
Binding Energy per Nucleon Curve In order to compare nuclear stability, it is more useful to look at the binding energy per nucleon The binding energy per nucleon is defined as: The binding energy ...
Nuclear Fission & Fusion Nuclear Fusion Fusion is defined as: The joining of two small nuclei to produce a larger nucleus Low mass nuclei (such as hydrogen and helium) can undergo fusion and re...
Mass Defect & Nuclear Binding Energy Energy & Mass Equivalence Einstein showed in his Theory of Relativity that matter can be considered a form of energy and hence, he proposed: Mass can be...
Atomic Mass Unit The unified atomic mass unit u is roughly equal to the mass of one proton or neutron: 1u = 1.66 × 10−27 kg It is sometimes abbreviated to a.m.u This value will be given on your dat...
Investigating Half-Life Aim of the Experiment The aim of the experiment is to investigate the half-life of a decaying radioactive sample This can be done with a live sample if safe access is availa...
Half-Life It is impossible to know when a particular unstable nucleus will decay But the rate at which the activity of a sample decreases can be known This is known as the half-life Half-life is de...
Decay Equations Changes in N and Z by Radioactive Decay There are four reasons why a nucleus might become unstable, and these determine which decay mode will occur Too many neutrons Decays through ...
Alpha, Beta & Gamma Particles Some elements have nuclei that are unstable This tends to be when the number of nucleons does not balance In order to become more stable, they emit particles and/o...
