Nuclear Chemistry

The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the time required for half of the isotope in a sample to decay.

The half-life of phosphorus-32 (32P) is 14 days.

Fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, often producing free neutrons and photons.

A beta particle has a charge of -1.

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

The symbol for gamma radiation is 'γ'.

Alpha radiation consists of helium nuclei, beta radiation consists of electrons or positrons, and gamma radiation consists of high-energy photons.

A common application of nuclear chemistry in medicine is the use of radioactive isotopes in diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment.

Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Generally, isotopes with longer half-lives are more stable than those with shorter half-lives.