nuclide

(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

Examples of nuclide in the following topics:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Nuclear Fission in Reactors

    • The two nuclei produced are most often of comparable but slightly different sizes, typically with a mass ratio of products of about 3 to 2, for common fissile nuclides.
  • Early Models of the Atom

    • The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons (except in the case of hydrogen-1, which is the only stable nuclide with no neutrons).
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