Nuclear model of
atom
electron
-
proton
neutron
PARTICLE CHARGE RELATIVE
MASS
-1 1/2000TH
ELECTRON (NEGATIVE (NEGLIGIBLE)
)
PROTON +1 1 UNIT
(POSITIVE)
NEUTRON NO 1 UNIT Slide 19
CHARGE
PLUM PUDDING MODEL OF ATOM
A hundred years ago people
thought that the atom looked -
like a “plum pudding” – a -
_
sphere of positive charge with
negatively charged electrons
spread through it…
Ernest Rutherford, British scientist:
I did an experiment that
proved this idea was
wrong. I called it the
“Rutherford Alpha particle
scattering experiment”
The Rutherford Scattering Experiment
ALPHA GOLD LEAF
ATOMS
PARTICLES
++ -
+
+
+
+
+
Differences between Thompson’s PLUM
PUDDING model and NUCLEAR model of
atom
Plum pudding Nuclear model
model
Nucleus positively
charged
Positively
charged with Most mass inside
electrons nucleus
spread out
Mostly empty
inside
space
Electrons orbit
ELEMENT SYMBOLS
An atom is represented by a symbol which will
tell you:-
1. What element it belongs to.
2. Mass number (total number of protons +
neutrons inside nucleus).
3. Atomic or Proton number (number of protons
inside nucleus).
Nucleus of Lithium atom
7 (Mass number)
Li 3 protons
3 (Atomic or
4 neutrons
Proton Number)
Since all the atoms are neutral:- number of
electrons orbiting around the nucleus = the
number of protons inside nucleus so the number
of electrons in this atom is 3.
Nucleus of Magnesium atom
24
Mg 12 protons
12
12
neutrons
No of electrons = 12
Nucleus of Aluminium atom
27
Al 13 protons
13
14
neutrons
No of electrons = 13
There are 3 types of radiation
α (alpha particle) Helium nuclei
2 protons and 2 neutrons
β (beta particle) fast moving electron
γ (gamma rays) electro magnetic
waves
All 3 types come from the nucleus of the
atom!!
Radioactive substances
have atoms with unstable
nuclei
This means that there are an
unequal number of protons
and neutrons inside the
nucleus
NUCLEUS OF UNSTABLE ATOM
Radiation is 2 PROTONS
emitted when 2 NEUTRONS
an unstable
nucleus α
breaks down
or
disintegrates
β
ELECTRO MAGNETIC
γ
WAVES
FAST MOVING
ELECTRON
Type of Relative Relative
radiatio Mass charge
n
Alpha 4 +2
particle
Beta 1/2000th -1
particle
Gamma no mass no
rays charge
Radiation Symbol of alpha
particle
4 4
He or α
2 2
Radiation Symbol of beta
particle
0 0
e or β
-1 -1
Radiation Symbol of gamma
ray
γ
NUCLEAR EQUATIONS
Nuclear equations have to
balance, just like chemical
equations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alpha Emission: nucleus emits 2 protons and 2
neutrons
X He Y
8P 2p 6p
11 2n
+ 9n
N
19 15 4
X Y + He
8 6 2
Element X turns into element Y and emits an alpha
particle
Beta Emission: neutron turns into proton and
electron. The electron is emitted from nucleus but
the proton stays behind
X β Y
3P
5 N 4N 4p
1e +
1P 1 4n
e
8 8 0
X Y + β
3 4 -1
Gamma Emission: often occurs after alpha and beta
emission. There is no change in mass or atomic
number.
e Mg
Na
11
P N 12
13 12P
N 1e +
1P 1 12N
e
24 24 0
Na Mg + e +γ
11 12 -1
Example shows beta decay with gamma emission
Penetrating
Sheet of FewPowers
mm of Few cm
ofRadiation
paper aluminium of lead
particles cannot pass through paper
particles cannot pass through aluminium
particles cannot pass through lead
HALF LIFE
TIME TAKEN FOR ½ THE RADIOACTIVE
ATOMS TO DISINTEGRATE
OR
TIME IT TAKES FOR THE RADIATION TO FALL
TO ½ ITS ORIGINAL LEVEL
Example of half life using pan of popcorn ‘popping’
16
HALF LIFE OF POPCORN = 10s
12
Number of popcorn
8
remaining
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Time (s)
Question on half life of pop corn
32
The half life of HALF LIFE OF POPCORN = 20s
popcorn is
Number of popcorn remaining
20s. A sample 24
contains 32
popcorn at
16
the start.
How many
will be 8
remaining
after 60s? 4
0
0 20 40 60 80
100
Time (s)
32 16 8 44
ANSWER = 4
20s 20s 20s
The half life of
Question on half life
Americium is 433
years. A sample
480
contains 480
nuclei. 1. How
Number of nuclei remaining
many will be
360
remaining after
approximately
1300 years? 2.
240
How long will it
take to become
harmless?
1. 60 nuclei 120
2. 6 x 433
0
years
0 433 433 433 433
= 2598 433
years Time (years)
480 240 120 60 30 16 8
433 433 433 433 433 433
Radioactive tracer in
medicine to find brain
tumours
Abnormalities with organs e.g. lungs
Industrial Radioactive tracer: finding break in
underground pipe
RADIATION/FAULT IN
PIPE DETECTED
γ SOURCE USED AS
RADIATION WILL NOT BE
ABSORBED BY EARTH
BREAK IN PIPE
UNDERGROUND
STERILIZATION OF SURGICAL
EQUIPMENT AND FRESH FOOD
CONTROL THICKNESS OF PAPER (β
SOURCE)
Radiation contr
detector ol
250COUNTS/SECOND
150
200
COUNTS/SECOND
CORRECT
THICKNESS
PAPER
PAPER
TO TOO
PAPER TO
THICK
THICK
THIN
Radiation
source β Rollers to control
thickness of
paper
CONTROL THICKNESS OF ALUMINIUM/STEEL (γ SOURCE)
Radiation contr
detector ol
250COUNTS/SECOND
150
200
COUNTS/SECOND
CORRECT
THICKNESS
PAPER
TOO
TO TO
THICK
THIN
THICK
Radiation
source γ Rollers to control
thickness of
paper
CARBON DATING OF ONCE LIVING
THINGS ETC. FOSSILS
ALIVE – RADIATION DEAD – ORGANISM STOPS TAKING
LEVEL CONSTANT IN CARBON 14 AND RADIATION
LEVEL BEGINS TO FALL
HALF LIFE CURVE
RADIATION FOR CARBON 14
LEVEL
AGE OF DEAD ORGANISM
EXAMPLES OF CARBON DATING TO
FIND THE AGE OF :-
•ROMAN SHIP
•TURIN SHROUD
BUILT 180 A.D. Find radiation level
of sample wood
taken from ship
Find radiation
level from wood
from local tree
Take piece of wood
from local tree
HALF LIFE GRAPH FOR CARBON 14
(finding age of ship)
RADIATION LEVEL OF
RADIATION LEVEL
WOOD FROM TREE
RADIATION LEVEL
FROM WOOD
FROM BOAT
TIME (YEARS)
AGE OF BOAT
1824 YEARS OLD
Turin shroud
Cotton plant
HALF LIFE GRAPH FOR CARBON 14
(finding age of Turin Shroud)
RADIATION LEVEL OF
RADIATION LEVEL
COTTON PLANT
RADIATION LEVEL
FROM CLOTH OF
TURIN SHROUD
TIME (YEARS)
AGE OF SHROUD
1400 YEARS OLD
Finding the age of rocks
Uranium Lead
Approximately 4500 000 000 years
Rock
Uranium
Lead
Question: Uranium decays into lead. The half life of uranium is
approximately 4,500,000,000 years. A sample of radioactive rock
contains 7 times as much lead as it does uranium. Calculate the
age of the sample.
Answer: The sample was originally completely uranium…
1 half life 1 half life 1 half life
later… later… later…
8 4 2 1
8 8 8 8
…of the Now only 4/8 of Now only 2/8 Now only 1/8
sample the uranium of uranium of uranium
was remains – the remains – the remains – the
uranium other 4/8 is lead other 6/8 is other 7/8 is
lead lead
So it must have taken 3 half lives for the sample to decay until
only 1/8 remained (which means that there is 7 times as much
lead). Each half life is 4,500,000,000 years so the sample is
Ionisation Powers of Radiation
Prolonged exposure to ionising
radiation is dangerous to humans.
Ionisation is the ability of radiation to
remove electrons from atoms which
will then change their structure
IONONIZATION
ATOM WITH
ATOM
ELECTRONS
DISPLACED
Type of Ionizing power
Radiation
Alpha particle High
Beta particle Low
Gamma rays Extremely low
Dangers of radioactivity – OUTSIDE BODY
Radiation will ionise atoms in
Alpha living cells – this can damage
them and cause cancer or
Beta leukaemia.
Gamma
Gamma
OUTSIDE the body and
are more dangerous as they
can penetrate the skin into
your body to your organs.
Dangers of radioactivity – INSIDE BODY
Dangers of radioactivity (INSIDE BODY)
Alpha
INSIDE the body an
radiation is the most
Beta dangerous because it has
not enough energy to pass
out of the body and has the
Gamma
greatest ionization power to
damage cells.
β and γ are less dangerous
because they have enough
energy to pass out of the body
PROTECTION OF MEDICAL STAFF
PROTECTIVE SUITS TONGS
SCREEN/BARRIER ARMS LENGTH
PROTECTION OF PATIENT
SMALL DOSES
FOCUS EXACTLY
WHERE NEEDED
PROTECTIVE BIB/GARMENT
Deflection of radiation in an
electric field
+ + + + + + + + +
β (-)
γ
α (+)
- - - - - - - - - - -
α PARTICLES TAKE LONGER TO BE DEFLECTED
BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST MASS
Deflection of radiation in
magnetic field
+ + + + + +
+ + + + +
α
+ + + + + +
γ
+ + + + +
β + + + + + +
+ + + + + +
+ +
Magnetic field is into
page
DISPOSAL OF WASTE IS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF:-
CONTAINERS/BURYING LONG HALF LIFE
UNDERGROUND
KEEPING SITE SAFE FROM HUMANS & TERRORISTS
Causes of Background Radiation
Rocks Underground
Dumped
Nuclear Waste
Radon Gas
Cosmic Rays
from stars
Hospitals/Factories
