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17.9: End of Chapter Key Terms

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Aug 30, 2024
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- 17.8: Nuclear Physics and Biology
- 17.10: End of Chapter Activity

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Definition: Nuclear Physics

Atom: Once thought to be the smallest piece of matter. Composed of protons, neutrons and electrons.
Electron: A negatively charged fundamental particle that orbits the nucleus of the atom.
Atomic Nucleus: The center of the atom, containing most of the atom's mass; composed of protons and neutrons.
Proton: A positively charged particle located in the atom's nucleus.
Neutron: An uncharged (neutral) particle with about the same mass as the proton, located in the nucleus.
Nucleon(s): A (collective) term for protons and neutrons in general.
Isotope: Atoms with the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons.
Empirical Radius Relationship: A way to find the nuclear radius as a function of nucleon number.
Coulomb Force: A force of attraction or repulsion between charged particles.
Strong Force, AKA the Strong Nuclear Force: An attractive force between nucleons that counteracts the Coulomb force.
Radioactive Decay: The spontaneous transformation of one element into another with the emission of radiation.
Half-Life: The time required for half the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay.
Decay Constant: A measure of how likely the atom is to undergo radioactive decay. Related to half-life.
Mean (average) Lifetime: How long (on average) that a particular atom will exist before decaying.
Mass Defect: The difference in mass between the initial state of the system and the final state of the system.
Binding Energy: The energy required to disassemble a nucleus.
Binding Energy per Nucleon: The energy required to remove a single nucleon from the nucleus. A measure of nuclear stability.
Antiparticle: A particle that has the same mass as another but opposite charge and magnetic moment.
Alpha Decay/Alpha Particle: A decay mode that emits an alpha particle ( $^{2}_{2} \alpha$ ).
Beta Decay/Beta Particle: A decay mode that emits a beta particle, which is an electron ( $^{\, 0}_{-1} \text {e}$ ) or a positron ( $^{\, 0}_{+1} \text {e}$ ).
Gamma Decay: A decay mode that emits a high energy photon.
Fission: The splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into two lighter nuclei, releasing energy.
Liquid Drop Model: Treating the nucleus like a drop of liquid to explain fission by neutron bombardment.
Fusion: The process of combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.
Quarks: Fundamental particles that combine to form everything except electrons.
Radioimmunoassay: Nuclear medicine technique used to screen for diseases and drugs.
Radiopharmaceutical: Drug containing radioactive isotope. Used to track blood flow, drug absorption and perform imaging.
Brachytherapy: The practice of inserting radioactive 'seeds' into the body in order to kill cancer cells.
Ionizing Radiation: Radioactive decay products that change the structure of molecules in cells by ionizing atoms.
Radiation Dose/rad: Definition of radiation exposure in terms of energy per kilogram of body mass.
Relative Biological Effectiveness: A multiplier that affects radiation dose based on the type of radiation involved.
Roentgen Equivalent Man: A way to estimate effective biological dose; the product of rad and RBE.

Definition: Nuclear Physics

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