Nuclear chemistry

Nuclear chemistry studies radioactive substances, isotopes, and reactions that change atomic nuclei, including how those changes affect chemical behavior.

Radioactive decay: The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus, often emitting particles or electromagnetic radiation. It describes how unstable nuclei studied in nuclear chemistry change without external intervention.
Isotope: One of two or more atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Isotopes share chemical identity while differing in nuclear mass and often stability.
Radiotracer: A radioactive isotope used to track the movement of atoms or molecules through a system. Radiotracers apply nuclear signals to follow chemical processes in complex systems.
Chemical reaction: A process that rearranges atoms by changing chemical bonds without altering atomic nuclei. It contrasts with nuclear reactions, which change nuclei rather than only electron arrangements.
Henri Becquerel: French physicist who discovered spontaneous radioactivity in uranium salts in 1896. His discovery revealed that atoms could emit radiation without external stimulation.
Nuclear reaction: A process in which an atomic nucleus changes after interacting with another nucleus or particle. Nuclear reactions let chemists deliberately transform nuclei rather than wait for decay.
Nuclide: A species of atom defined by its numbers of protons and neutrons and its nuclear state. Nuclides give nuclear chemistry a precise way to identify distinct atomic nuclei.
Positron emission tomography: A medical imaging method that detects pairs of photons produced after positron emission. It turns a nuclear decay process into images of biological activity.
Nuclear fission: The splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into lighter nuclei, usually with released neutrons and energy. Fission is a major energy-releasing nuclear process studied in the field.
Marie Curie: Polish-French physicist and chemist whose research established radioactivity and led to the discovery of polonium and radium. Her work made radioactive substances central objects of chemical investigation.

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