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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Forum => Topic started by: unleash10 on June 09, 2006, 08:09:44 PM

Title: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: unleash10 on June 09, 2006, 08:09:44 PM

 147 62 Sm decays by a-emission. Write an equation for the reaction. The atomic mass
is 146.9146 amu. Calculate the energy associated with the reaction in MeV.

Ok So i know Sm will decay to 143 60 Nd and 4 2 He.

My question is how do I find out the mass of Nd of that isotope? It is not listed in any tables in my book.

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: pantone159 on June 09, 2006, 10:06:20 PM

My CRC (71st ed) table of the isotopes gives the mass of 143 Nd as 142.909810 amu.

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: unleash10 on June 10, 2006, 02:31:39 AM

The thing is, my teacher gave this as a homework problem, and didnt give the atomic mass of the isotope of Nd but he gave the atomic mass of Sm. So the only way to find out is through a table?

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: Mitch on June 10, 2006, 01:30:09 PM

http://www.isotope-table.com/

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: sdekivit on June 11, 2006, 04:13:44 PM

you know the mass of an a-particle right ???

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: pantone159 on June 11, 2006, 05:08:27 PM

Quote from: unleash10 on June 10, 2006, 02:31:39 AM

So the only way to find out is through a table?

Yep.  Other than doing the same experiment that the people who made the table did.

Title: Re: Nuclear chem problem
Post by: Mitch on June 11, 2006, 05:41:47 PM

 

Quote from: Mark K on June 11, 2006, 05:08:27 PM

Yep.  Other than doing the same experiment that the people who made the table did.

Yeah, making a mass spec. from scratch could be more difficult than looking it up in a table.