How do nuclear reactions differ from ordinary chemical reactions?
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Textbook Solutions for Chemistry
Question
The radioactive isotope 238Pu, used in pacemakers, decays by emitting an alpha particle with a half-life of 86 yr. (a) Write an equation for the decay process. (b) The energy of the emitted alpha particle is 9.0 3 10213 J, which is the energy per decay. Assuming that all the alpha particle energy is used to run the pacemaker, calculate the power output at t 5 0 and t 5 10 yr. Initially 1.0 mg of 238Pu was present in the pacemaker. (Hint: After 10 yr, the activity of the isotope decreases by 8.0 percent. Power is measured in watts or J/s.)
Solution
The first step in solving 19 problem number 96 trying to solve the problem we have to refer to the textbook question: The radioactive isotope 238Pu, used in pacemakers, decays by emitting an alpha particle with a half-life of 86 yr. (a) Write an equation for the decay process. (b) The energy of the emitted alpha particle is 9.0 3 10213 J, which is the energy per decay. Assuming that all the alpha particle energy is used to run the pacemaker, calculate the power output at t 5 0 and t 5 10 yr. Initially 1.0 mg of 238Pu was present in the pacemaker. (Hint: After 10 yr, the activity of the isotope decreases by 8.0 percent. Power is measured in watts or J/s.)
From the textbook chapter Nuclear Chemistry you will find a few key concepts needed to solve this.
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