Chapter 23. Nuclear Power

How do radioactive isotopes decay...?

Interactive Study Guide
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Guiding Question 23.2

How do radioactive isotopes decay, and what types of radiation are produced? How dangerous is this radiation?

Why You Should Care

Radioactive decay is a natural process where isotopes release energy and particles. The more neutrons the atom has, the more unstable it will be. The more unstable the isotope, the more energy and particles will be released as radiation. Radiation is classified by the amount of matter and energy released (alpha releases the most matter and has the least energy, beta has less matter and more energy, and gamma has the least matter and the most energy). Gamma radiation is most dangerous with proximity, as it can instantly damage cells and cause DNA damage. Alpha radiation is most dangerous if it is inhaled or ingested, as its radiation damages cells over the long term.

This radiation is what powers reactors. Each step also creates large amounts of low-level radioactivity that will take millions to billions of years to become safe.

Question Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
CMNGrGcbyggz7BJlBZKk1Ay99KSQQhJubrk3q0FDcxMTV5FS6cc0G55mCC6y3SOV0nuJq9tKr4MGK4ZN31kw2Sg/PMo= Atoms that spontaneously emit subatomic particles and/or energy.
LEA4QimRizywZUcwQa5Y+QvGMmd/+EmgSPcthfWX0lg3dvIk9ygycYcPz9ySaQGL2HQTe/WipbJO8sgKM6IEEHFa38E= The time it takes for half of the radioactive isotopes in a sample to decay to a new form.
4TpLhaq2RCCpAsYqbw7r8Mn6Rt9BY/Bc1Ew5GBLw3qalfeSjDRPXWFhi4x+2C9ffoKkccAoC+hzYMxAQzE4DN41AnH0= Hollow metal cylinders filled with uranium fuel pellets for use in fission reactors.
xob1adEMlVH8WvGDL3yDQbWucuLjb4Ul9xIlNoUeTH6860lISVERaOmZ5RBjomk++8lRwoJwndAmKbp+I0ewFcUKJ3U= Rods that absorb neutrons and slow the fission chain reaction.
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Infographic 23.2: Radioactive Decay

Question 23.1

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Question 23.2

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Question 23.3

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Question 23.4

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Radioactivity releases energy and particles as elements decay. Half-lives measure how long it takes, not how much is released, so half-lives that last hundreds, thousands, or millions of years mean that the risks also last that long.
Infographic 23.2 Interactive

Infographic 23.6: Radioactive Isotopes Can Release One or More of Three Different Kinds of Radiation

Question 23.5

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Question 23.6

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Question 23.7

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Question 23.8

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Question 23.9

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Alpha radiation releases the least energy and most matter, so we would want to minimize this radiation. Gamma radiation has the most energy and releases the least matter, so it is the goal of nuclear power generation.