Virtual General Chemistry Laboratory
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NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
Experiment 1 – Radiation & Matter
Introduction
Of the types of radiation produced in nuclear decay reactions, the three most common are
alpha particles (α), beta particles (β), and gamma rays (γ). All of them are considered to be
forms of ionizing radiation, that is, when they strike atoms or molecules in their paths they cause
electrons to be knocked away, forming ions or free radicals. While this is generally not much of
a concern with inanimate materials, these highly reactive species can cause undesirable effects
in living tissue.
Alpha particles are fast moving particles that contain two protons and two neutrons, which make
them identical to helium nuclei, with a mass number of 4 and a charge of 2+. They are written
using either the Greek letter α or the symbol for the helium nucleus, 42 He .
Beta particles are high-energy electrons, with a mass number of 0 and a charge of 1–. They are
identical to other electrons in the atom, but do not exist in the nucleus until a neutron decays
into a proton and an electron. They are written with either the Greek letter β or the symbol −01 e .
Gamma rays are high-energy photons (similar to X rays but higher energy). They are given the
Greek letter γ.
Because cells in our bodies can be damaged by all these forms of ionizing radiation, it is
important to know what kinds of materials would provide shielding for us when working with
radioactive sources.
Objective
In this experiment you will investigate how well the three forms of radiation pass through
different materials: paper, cardboard, aluminum, and lead.
Procedure
1. Open the worksheet for Experiment 1. (You may fill in the data within Excel, or you may print
out the worksheet and fill in the data by hand.)
2. Click on the apparatus to start the lab. (If you are using Internet Explorer, you will have to
click once to activate the control, then click again to start the lab.) The experimental setup
includes three radioactive sources (one each of an α, β, and γ emitter), different types of
shielding, and the apparatus to measure the radioactivity. On the right is a Geiger counter
that will measure radiation in counts per second. On the left is a holder for the radioactive
source, and in the middle is a holder for the shielding material.
3. Click on the drop-down list of radioactive sources and choose radon-222, an α emitter. Drag
the source into the sample holder. (There is information on each nuclide in the box that pops
up. After reading it, you can close the box, or it will close on its own when you click on
something else.)
4. Click on the Geiger counter switch to turn it on. Read the activity from the gauge. (The
needle on the gauge may move around a bit. You should try to get an average reading. Note
that the scale on the gauge is not linear.) Record the activity of the sample in counts/sec in
the worksheet.
© 2005, David R. Anderson
Virtual General Chemistry Laboratory
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5. Click the switch again to turn it off.
6. Click on the drop-down list of shielding materials and choose one. Drag the shielding into its
holder in the apparatus.
7. Again click on the Geiger counter switch, and again record the activity in the appropriate
column in the worksheet.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 using the other types of shielding material. Record the activity values
in the appropriate cells of the worksheet.
9. Repeat steps 3–8 for the other radioactive sources: iron-59 (β) and strontium -85 (γ).
© 2005, David R. Anderson