What happens to a nucleus when it is unstable?

What happens to a nucleus when it is unstable?

The unstable nucleus of radioactive atoms emit radiation. When this occurs, a new atom and element are formed. This process is called radioactive decay. It continues until the forces in the unstable nucleus are balanced.

What is an example of an unstable nucleus?

Too many neutrons or protons can upset this balance making the nucleus unstable. For example lead, lead-206 has 82 protons and has 124 neutrons. Nuclei with too many, or too few, neutrons do exist naturally but are unstable and will disintegrate (or decay) by emitting radiation. This is called radioactive decay.

What does unstable atom mean?

An unstable atom has excess internal energy, with the result that the nucleus can undergo a spontaneous change towards a more stable form. This is called ‘radioactive decay’. Each element exists in the form of atoms with several different sized nuclei, called isotopes.

How does an unstable nucleus release energy?

An unstable nucleus releases energy by emitting radiation from its nucleus.

What is stable and unstable elements?

A stable atom is an atom that has enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together permanently. An unstable atom does not have enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together permanently and is called a radioactive atom.

Why Uranium is unstable?

The heat released in fission can be used to help generate electricity in power plants. Uranium-235 (U-235) is one of the isotopes that fissions easily. During fission, U-235 atoms absorb loose neutrons. This causes U-235 to become unstable and split into two light atoms called fission products.

How does an unstable nucleus become more stable?

An unstable nucleus tries to become more stable by decaying into another nucleus. During radioactive decay, an unstable nucleus emits alpha particles, beta particles, positrons, or gamma rays. GAMMA RAYS: Gamma rays are high-energy photons.

What are stable and unstable atoms?

Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.

Is no stable or unstable?

Nitric oxideNitric oxide (NO) is an example of a stable free radical. It does not obey the octet rule on the nitrogen atom. Each line around the atoms represents a pair of electrons.

What are the unstable elements?

Another notable example is the only naturally occurring isotope of bismuth, bismuth-209, which has been predicted to be unstable with a very long half-life, but has been observed to decay….Tables.