Lesson · C.4.2
Nuclear chemistry
Alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, half-life, and nuclear equations, worked the way the HESI A2 Chemistry subtest asks them.
ObjectiveC.4.2Read5 minExam weightAqueous and Nuclear Chemistry ≈ 16% of Chemistry
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See editions and pricing →What you will be able to do
- Tell alpha, beta, and gamma radiation apart by charge, mass, and shielding.
- Balance a nuclear decay equation and identify the daughter nuclide.
- Use a half-life to work out how much of an isotope remains after several decay cycles.
What the lesson concludes
- Alpha particles are helium nuclei, stopped by paper or a few centimetres of air.
- Beta particles are fast electrons (or positrons), stopped by a few millimetres of aluminium.
- Gamma rays carry no mass or charge and need lead or thick concrete to shield against.
- Half-life is constant for a given isotope. After each half-life, exactly half of what remained decays.
- A balanced nuclear equation keeps both mass number and atomic number equal on each side.