Nuclear Chemistry Review

Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts, releasing a significant amount of energy.

Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy.

Nuclear fusion produces more energy than nuclear fission.

An isotope is a variant of a chemical element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

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

The half-life of iodine-131 is 8 days.

Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons.

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

The decay constant is a probability rate at which a particular radioactive isotope will decay.

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