/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.2106009]

when a radioactive atom is part of a compound, and the atom decays, what happens chemically?

[MellowRepublic !l04WeedKxY No.2106016]

Everything.

[Anonymous No.2106018]

The molecule breaks down

[Anonymous No.2106020]

>>2106009
source on pic

[Anonymous No.2106026]

>>2106020
OP here, it's my daughter

[Anonymous No.2106049]

>>2106026

pics or it didnt happen


>>2106009


depends on the decay type.


but various things... usually "swelling" in which both alpha particles and daughter nuclides change the overall density/volume of a material.

for example:

the core of a nuclear weapon is usually a sphere or elipsoidal piece of uranium/plutonium.

the surrounding explosives and/or "mirror" (Reflects back particles that create fusion) ultimately get destroyed or affected by this process.


it is actually a major problem for nuclear weapons stock piles because you cant test them to see if they still work properly.

it is one of the reasons why places like Los Alamos, Oak ridge, etc have super computers...

they actually use CAD to model the actual engineering/design of the device itself, then use MCNP code (monte carlo N particle code) type simulations to model the degredation of the material.


furthermore, they recently had a problem at Oak Ridge, in which they discovered that the swelling had actually "cold welded" some of the pieces of the physics package together...

this was a considerable problem because you cant do anything too drastic due to all of the conventional explosives involved...
beyond that, ionizing radiation like Gamma, X-ray, and Beta can ionize the surrounding material...

this results in destruction of the crystal structure of a semiconductor, or oxidation of plastics (makes them brittle)...


essentially the answer is

a bunch of stuff.


also neutrons can heat up the material, and make other nuclei emit gamma rays as the neutrons deposit their kinetic energy as they slow down

[Anonymous No.2106095]

>>2106049
not what i wanted info on

i want to know what happens chemically to the compound the radioactive atom is a part of.

eg uranium hexafluoride, what happens chemically when uranium changes to thorium

[Anonymous No.2106110]

It depends on what kind of radioactive decay you are talking about.

In alpha decay, the atom discharges a helium nucleus to reduce repulsion within the original atom's nucleus. This basically changes the element of the atom to the element 2 steps down on the periodic table.

Beta decay is when a neutron changes to a proton and gives off an electron to balance the charge. Positron decay is simply the opposite of this in which an electron is taken up by the nucleus and turns a proton into a neutron. This decay causes the element to shift 1 step either way on the periodic table

Gamma decay occurs when there is too much repulsion in the nucleus. A photon is emitted to drop the nucleus to a lower state of energy. This has the least effect on chemical composition of all the 3 types of decay.

[Anonymous No.2106136]

>>2106110
we all know this

now please answer the question or gtfo

[Anonymous No.2106143]

>>2106095

simple answer based on general knowledge:

small amounts contaminants build up in a cylinder of UF6

you will get small amounts of pretty much every possible compound that can be formed from fluorine and the decay products of Uranium.

you will get elemental metals of the decay prodcuts of uranium.

you will get inorganic salts composed of Sodium and/or fluorine and/or other uranium decay products (sodium is a product of an alpha reaction with fluorine that emits a neutron).


there will be a broad spectrum of contaminants present after the material is allowed to sit for a while.


without specific knowledge (which, honestly, may be classified), I cannot say for sure which species will dominate...

but that is the general answer