Nuclear Chemistry

particle identical to a helium ion (He²⁺) that is emitted during the decay of radioactive elements

matter consisting of antiparticles such as antiprotons, antineutrons, and positrons

high-energy electron released when a neutron decays into a proton in the nucleus

nuclear reaction in which the products of the reaction can trigger more nuclear reactions

structure that shields against radiation and contains the main reactor and the moderator of a nuclear reactor

rod that can be inserted into a nuclear reactor to capture neutrons and slow down the rate of a chain reaction

minimum mass of fissile substance that can sustain a chain reaction

able to undergo a nuclear chain reaction

high-energy electromagnetic radiation

specific number of protons or neutrons that makes a nucleus more likely to be stable

difference between the total mass of the individual nucleons that make up a nucleus and the actual mass of the nucleus

equation that relates energy and mass, formulated by Einstein; given as $E=mc^2$

substance in a nuclear reactor that slows down fast neutrons, enabling them to initiate nuclear reactions

energy required to break a nucleus into its component nucleons

field of chemistry that studies changes in atomic nuclei

process in which a nuclide splits into two or more smaller nuclides

process in which two or more nuclides combine to form a larger nuclide

reaction in which one or more nuclides change to form one or more new nuclides

proton or neutron in an atomic nucleus

atomic nucleus with a specific number of protons and neutrons

large construction that uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate particles to relativistic speeds

antiparticle of an electron, which has the same mass as an electron and a positive charge equal in magnitude to the negative charge of an electron

process by which unstable nuclei break down into other, smaller nuclei over time, releasing particles and/or energy

Isotope with an unstable nucleus that experiences radioactive decay

short-range force that acts between protons and neutrons, keeping the nucleus together

amount of fissile material insufficient to sustain a chain reaction

amount of fissile material sufficient to start a chain reaction resulting from spontaneous fission

conversion of one nuclide into another

element that has a higher atomic number than that of uranium, which has an atomic number of 92

region that represents stable, nonradioactive isotopes on a graph of the neutron number versus the proton number for all known isotopes