Chapter 30
Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity
By Boundless
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Nuclear size is defined by nuclear radius; nuclear density can be calculated from nuclear size.
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The stability of an atom depends on the ratio and number of protons and neutrons, which may represent closed and filled quantum shells.
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Nuclear force is the force that is responsible for binding of protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei.
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Detectable amounts of radioactive material occurs naturally in soil, rocks, water, air, and vegetation.
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A radiation detector is a device used to detect, track, or identify high-energy particles.
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Radioactive decay series describe the decay of different discrete radioactive decay products as a chained series of transformations.
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In alpha decay an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle and transforms into an atom with smaller mass (by four) and atomic number (by two).
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Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle (an electron or a positron) is emitted from an atomic nucleus.
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Gamma decay is a process of emission of gamma rays that accompanies other forms of radioactive decay, such as alpha and beta decay.
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Carbon-14 dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the radioisotope carbon-14 (14C) to estimate the age of object.
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The half-life of a radionuclide is the time taken for half the radionuclide's atoms to decay.
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If an object lacks enough energy to pass through a barrier, it is possible for it to "tunnel" through imaginary space to the other side.
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Through radioactive decay, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission, the number of nucleons (sum of protons and neutrons) is always held constant.
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Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism, cancer, and blood disorders.
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Radiation dosimetry is the measurement and calculation of the absorbed dose resulting from the exposure to ionizing radiation.
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Ionizing radiation is generally harmful, even potentially lethal, to living organisms.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/17075/square/lications-of-brachytherapy.jpeg)
Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism, cancer, and blood disorders.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/17054/square/185px-radura-symbol.jpg.jpg)
Food irradiation is a process of treating a food to a specific dosage of ionizing radiation for a predefined length of time.
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A radioactive tracer is a chemical compound in which one or more atoms have been replaced by a radioisotope.
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In nuclear fusion two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speed and join, forming a new nucleus.
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Nuclear reactors convert the thermal energy released from nuclear fission into electricity.
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Positron emission tomography is a nuclear medical imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of processes in the body.
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A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions—either fission, fusion, or a combination.
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Magnetic resonance imaging is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize internal structures of the body in detail.