Chapter 24 Nuclear Chemistry

3. a particle with the same mass of an electron but opposite charge
4. a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation
8. decay series a series of nuclear reactions that begins with an unstable nucleus and results in the formation of a stable nucleus
9. protons and neutrons
12. fusion reactions
15. the elements immediately following uranium in the periodic table-elements with atomic numbers of 93 or greater
16. the area of the graph within which all stable nuclei are found
18. when the nucleus of an atom draws in a surrounding electron, usually one from the lowest energy level
19. a reaction in which an atom's atomic number is altered
20. isotopes of atoms with unstable nuclei

1. the difference in mass between a nucleus and its component nucleons
2. a sample that is massive enough to sustain a chain reaction
5. acts on subatomic particles that are extremely close together and overcomes the electrostatic repulsion among protons
6. the splitting of a nucleus into fragments
7. the process of determining the age of an object by measuring the amount of a certain radioisotope remaining in the object
10. the combination of atomic nuclei
11. the ability of radiation to pass through matter
13. radiation energy enough to ionize matter with which it collides
14. a radioactive decay process that involves the emission of a positron from a nucleus
17. the time required for one-half of a radioisotope's nuclei to decay into its products