Chapter 1
Nuclear Chemistry
1.1 Introduction
This chapter about Nuclear Chemistry encompasses a brief introduction to atoms,
structure of a nucleolus, stability of elements, applications of the binding energy of
nucleus such as fission and fusion reaction, etc.
1.2 Atom
The concept of the orbital electron configuration of an atom is presented in many
textbooks of chemistry and need not be explained here in detail. Nevertheless, there
are two main constituents of atoms: orbitals in which electrons are housed and a
nucleus in which species like neutrons and protons are housed. Nuclear chemistry
deals with the behavior of neutrons and protons, and sometimes with the behavior as
well as the structure of electrons. Electrons are arranged outside the atomic nucleus
in several orbitals. Each orbital, described by four quantum numbers, has definite
energy and can accommodate two electrons with an antiparallel spin. The transition
of an electron from one orbital to the other results in the emission or absorption
of a definite amount of energy. The magnitude of this energy corresponds to the
difference between the energy of the two orbitals concerned. This energy is emitted
in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
Atoms combine together to form a compound, by the transfer of electrons from
one atom to another followed by an electrostatic attraction (electrovalency) or sharing
electrons (covalency). During chemical reactions, electrons present in the outermost
orbitals are rearranged. Therefore, in the foregoing sections, our discussions are
limited to the behavior of constituents of the nucleus, which mainly include neutrons
and protons, their arrangements in the nucleus, and their impact on the stability of
the nucleus.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Sharon and M. Sharon, Nuclear Chemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62018-9_1
1
Nuclear Chemistry
1.1 Introduction
This chapter about Nuclear Chemistry encompasses a brief introduction to atoms,
structure of a nucleolus, stability of elements, applications of the binding energy of
nucleus such as fission and fusion reaction, etc.
1.2 Atom
The concept of the orbital electron configuration of an atom is presented in many
textbooks of chemistry and need not be explained here in detail. Nevertheless, there
are two main constituents of atoms: orbitals in which electrons are housed and a
nucleus in which species like neutrons and protons are housed. Nuclear chemistry
deals with the behavior of neutrons and protons, and sometimes with the behavior as
well as the structure of electrons. Electrons are arranged outside the atomic nucleus
in several orbitals. Each orbital, described by four quantum numbers, has definite
energy and can accommodate two electrons with an antiparallel spin. The transition
of an electron from one orbital to the other results in the emission or absorption
of a definite amount of energy. The magnitude of this energy corresponds to the
difference between the energy of the two orbitals concerned. This energy is emitted
in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
Atoms combine together to form a compound, by the transfer of electrons from
one atom to another followed by an electrostatic attraction (electrovalency) or sharing
electrons (covalency). During chemical reactions, electrons present in the outermost
orbitals are rearranged. Therefore, in the foregoing sections, our discussions are
limited to the behavior of constituents of the nucleus, which mainly include neutrons
and protons, their arrangements in the nucleus, and their impact on the stability of
the nucleus.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Sharon and M. Sharon, Nuclear Chemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62018-9_1
1