nuclide

Physics

(noun)

A nuclide (from "nucleus") is an atomic species characterized by the specific constitution of its nucleus -- i.e., by its number of protons ($Z$), its number of neutrons ($N$), and its nuclear energy state.

Related Terms

  • radioactive decay
  • radionuclide
Chemistry

(noun)

An atomic nucleus specified by its atomic number and atomic mass.

Related Terms

  • half-life

Examples of nuclide in the following topics:

  • Dating Using Radioactive Decay

    • After one half-life has elapsed, one half of the atoms of the nuclide in question will have decayed into a "daughter" nuclide, or decay product.
    • In many cases, the daughter nuclide is radioactive, resulting in a decay chain.
    • This chain eventually ends with the formation of a stable, nonradioactive daughter nuclide.
    • Therefore, in any material containing a radioactive nuclide, the proportion of the original nuclide to its decay products changes in a predictable way as the original nuclide decays over time.
    • Each parent nuclide spontaneously decays into a daughter nuclide (the decay product) via an α decay or a β decay.
  • Nuclear Stability

    • Filled shells, such as the filled shell of 50 protons in the element tin, confers unusual stability on the nuclide.
    • Of the 254 known stable nuclides, only four have both an odd number of protons and an odd number of neutrons:
    • Also, only four naturally occurring, radioactive odd-odd nuclides have a half-life greater than a billion years:
  • Beta Decay

    • Therefore the set of all nuclides with the same A can be introduced; these isobaric nuclides may turn into each other via beta decay.
    • One example is the odd-proton odd-neutron nuclide 40 K, which undergoes both types of beta decay with a half-life of 1.277 ·109 years.
  • Carbon Dating and Estimating Fossil Age

    • After one half-life has elapsed, one half of the atoms of the Lead-212 nuclide will have decayed into a "daughter" nuclide or decay product.
    • In many cases, the daughter nuclide itself is radioactive, resulting in a decay chain, eventually ending with the formation of a stable (nonradioactive) daughter nuclide in this case Lead-208; each step in such a chain is characterized by a distinct half-life.
  • Half-Life of Radioactive Decay

    • For a large number of atoms, the decay rate for the collection as a whole can be computed from the measured decay constants of the nuclides, or, equivalently, from the half-lives.
    • Half-lives vary widely; the half-life of 209Bi is 1019 years, while unstable nuclides can have half-lives that have been measured as short as 10−23 seconds.
  • Alpha Decay

    • Alpha decay typically occurs in the heaviest nuclides.
    • In theory it can occur only in nuclei somewhat heavier than nickel (element 28), in which overall binding energy per nucleon is no longer a minimum and the nuclides are therefore unstable toward spontaneous fission-type processes.
  • Rate of Radioactive Decay

    • The law of radioactive decay describes the statistical behavior of a large number of nuclides, rather than individual ones.
    • In the following relation, the number of nuclides or nuclide population, N, is of course a natural number.
  • Radioactive Decay Series: Introduction

    • But, since its activity is inversely proportional to its half-life, any nuclide in the decay chain finally contributes as much as the head of the chain.
  • Exponential Decay

    • The time it takes for a substance (drug, radioactive nuclide, or other) to lose half of its pharmacological, physiological, biological, or radiological activity is called its half-life.
  • Calculations Involving Half-Life and Decay-Rates

    • Half-lives of known radionuclides vary widely, from more than 1019 years, such as for the very nearly stable nuclide 209 Bi, to 10−23 seconds for highly unstable ones.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.