Students’ ScoreBooster Video Tutorials
on
JAMB (UTME), WAEC (SSCE, GCE),
NECO, and NABTEB EXAMS
Chemistry
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Nuclear Chemistry-II
(JAMB (UTME))
Presented by
Saheed Adewale Lateef [B.Eng. (ChE)]
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Learning Outcomes
 After this class, it is expected that
 students are able to differentiate between nuclear and chemical
reactions; artificial and natural radioactivity
 Students should define and explain what nuclear fission and
fusion are and identify there areas of applications
 How to balance nuclear reactions should be understood by
them.
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Nuclear Reaction vs Chemical Reaction
 Nuclear reaction takes place in the atom’s nucleus, the electrons in the
atom are responsible for Chemical reactions.
 The chemical reactions involve the transfer, loss, gain and sharing of
electrons and nothing takes place in the nucleus. Nuclear reactions
involve the decomposition of the nucleus and have nothing to do with
the electrons.
 In a nuclear reaction, the protons and neutrons react inside the nucleus
and in chemical reactions the electrons react outside the nucleus.
 When comparing the energies, a chemical reaction involves only low
energy change, where as a nuclear reaction has a very high-energy
change.
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 In nuclear reaction, isotopes react differently while in chemical reaction,
isotopes react the same way
 While the elements get transmuted into other elements in a nuclear reaction,
the number of atom remains same with chemical reactions.
 When mass changes can be detected in a nuclear reaction, in the chemical
reactions, the mass of the reactants are equal to mass of the products.
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Natural and Artificial Radioactivity
 Nuclear reactions which occur spontaneously are said to be an
example of natural radioactivity. There are three naturally
occurring radioactive series among the elements in the periodic
table. These are known as the uranium series, the actinium series
and the thorium series, each named after the element at which the
series start (except the actinium series which starts with a different
uranium isotope). Each series decays through a number of unstable
nuclei by means of alpha and beta emission, until each series end on
a different stable isotope of lead.
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Natural and Artificial Radioactivity (cont’d)
 Not all nuclear reactions are spontaneous. These reactions occur
when stable isotopes are bombarded with particles such as neutrons.
This method of inducing a nuclear reaction to proceed is termed
artificial radioactivity. This meant new nuclear reactions, which
wouldn't have been viewed spontaneously, could now be observed.
 Since about 1940, a set of new elements with atomic numbers over
92 have been artificially made. They are called the transuranium
elements.
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Artificial Transmutation
 When one element is converted into another element artificially then it
is known as Artificial Transmutation. It is a type of artificial
radioactivity.
 Examples; Consider the Rutherford and
Chadwick equations written
below;

14 + He4
N
7
2
17 + H1
O
8
1

9 + He4
Be
4
2
12 + n1
C
6
o
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Nuclear Fission
 Nuclear fission is a process where the nucleus of an atom is split
into two or more smaller nuclei, known as fission products. The
fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction and huge
amounts of energy are released in the process. This energy can be
used to produce nuclear power or to make nuclear weapons when we
have fission chain reactions. Examples: in the manufacture of
atomic bomb (uncontrolled reactions), electrical energy (controlled
reactions) where Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239 are used.
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Nuclear Fusion
 Nuclear fusion is the joining together of the nuclei of two
atoms to form a heavier nucleus. If the atoms involved are
small, this process is accompanied by the release of energy. It
is the nuclear fusion of elements that causes stars to shine and
hydrogen bombs to explode. As with nuclear fission then,
there are both positive and negative uses of nuclear fusion.
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Measurement of Radiation
 There are many instruments to measure radioactivity and each
depends on some properties which include detection accuracy, cost,
robustness. Below are the list of few instruments used to detect and
measure radioactivity;
 Geiger-Muller counter
 Scintillation counter
 End-window G-M detector etc
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Review
 There are two forces between the particles of the nucleus. The strong
nuclear force (attraction between the nucleons) and the electromagnetic
force (repulsion between like-charged protons).
 In atoms with large nuclei, the electromagnetic force becomes greater than
the nuclear force and particles or energy may be released from the nucleus.
 Radioactive decay occurs when an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by
emitting particles or electromagnetic waves.
 The particles and energy released are called radiation and the atom is said
to be radioactive.
 Radioactive isotopes are called radioisotopes.
 Radioactivity was first discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre.
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 There are three types of radiation from radioactive decay: alpha (α), beta
(β) and gamma (γ) radiation.
 During alpha decay, an alpha particle is released and consists of two
protons and two neutrons bound together with low penetration power..
 For beta decay, a beta particle is released where, a neutron is converted to a
proton, an electron and a neutrino. A beta particle is the electron that is
released. It has greater penetration power than alpha radiation.
 Gamma decay however, electromagnetic energy is released as gamma rays.
Gamma radiation has the highest penetration power of the three radiation
types.
 There are many sources of radiation. Some of natural and others are manmade.
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Review (cont’d)
 The half-life of an element is the time it takes for half the atoms of a
radioisotope to decay into other atoms.
 Radiation can be very damaging. Some of the negative impacts of radiation
exposure include damage to cells, genetic abnormalities and cancer.
 However, radiation can also have many positive uses. These include use in
the medical field (e.g. chemical tracers), biochemistry and genetics, use in
food preservation, the environment and in archaeology.
 Nuclear fission is the splitting of an atomic nucleus into smaller fission
products. Nuclear fission produces large amounts of energy, which can be
used to produce nuclear power, and to make nuclear weapons.
 Nuclear fusion is the joining together of the nuclei of two atoms to form a
heavier nucleus. In stars, fusion reactions involve the joining of hydrogen
atoms to form helium atoms.
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Class Exercise
Gamma rays are used in medical
JAMB2001,
TYPE R, Q6
treatment of diseases.
Ans: Option D
JAMB2013,
TYPE U, Q6
JAMB2000,
Q12
Cobalt-60 finds application
in radiography.
Ans: Option A
Half-life indicates the time
the element splits into two.
Ans: Option C
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Class Exercise
JAMB 2002, TYPE K
Q21
Beta emission is characterized by
increase in atomic number of the new
atom (+1) while the mass number is
unchanged
Ans: Option B
Option C
J2005, TYPE 4, Q34
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Homework
JAMB 2004, 40, R
JAMB 2008, Q11
JAMB 2010,
TYPE A, Q11
On emission of alpha particle,
the mass number of the tom
reduces by 4, hence 226= x+4
X = 222
Ans: Option D
Bombarding an atom with
either a neutron or proton is
called artificial transmutation.
Ans: Option C
This is a combination of lighter
atoms to form heavier atoms
with the release of energy.
Ans: Option C
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Next video will be on
Kinetic theory and Gas laws
with sample
Questions and Solutions
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