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Theme E — Nuclear and Quantum Physics

E.1.2 Nuclear Notation — IB Physics HL Revision Notes & Topical Questions

5 min read 10 parts Lesson 4 of 45 1 quiz

📚 IB Physics HL Hub / Topical Revision
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Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
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Lesson summary

E.1.2 Nuclear Notation — IB PHYSICS SL notes: Use nuclide notation to give numbers of protons, neutrons and nucleons, and describe isotopes and nuclear equations.Atoms — they are made of protons, neutrons and electronsProtons and neutrons are in the nucleus and electrons orbit it…

  • Neutral atom
  • Electron mass
  • Unified atomic mass unit (u)
  • Nucleon masses
  • Charge and mass units
  • Nucleon number A (mass number)

Part 1 of 8Particles in the atom

Particles in the atom
Atoms
  • Atoms they are made of protons, neutrons and electrons
  • Protons and neutrons are in the nucleus and electrons orbit it.
Nucleons
  • Nucleons protons and neutrons together
Neutral atom
  • Neutral atom the number of electrons equals the number of protons
Electron mass
  • Electron mass about 1/1840 of the proton mass, so it is negligible in the nuclear mass
ParticleCharge / CCharge / eMass / kgMass / u
Proton+1.60 × 10−19+11.673 × 10−271.007276
Neutron001.675 × 10−271.008665
Electron−1.60 × 10−19−19.109 × 10−310.000549

Part 2 of 8Atomic mass unit

Atomic mass unit
Unified atomic mass unit (u)
  • Unified atomic mass unit (u) one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom
  • 1 u = 1.66 × 10−27 kg.
Nucleon masses
  • Nucleon masses a proton or neutron has a mass of almost exactly 1 u
Charge and mass units
  • Charge and mass units charge can be given in C or in units of e, and mass in kg or u

Part 3 of 8Nuclide notation

Nuclide notation
Nuclide
  • Nuclide a specific type of nucleus, written AZX
  • X is the chemical symbol of the element.
Nucleon number A (mass number)
  • Nucleon number A (mass number) the total number of protons and neutrons, written at the top
Proton number Z (atomic number)
  • Proton number Z (atomic number) the number of protons, written at the bottom
  • It fixes the element and the nuclear charge +Ze.
Neutron number
  • N = A − Z
Meaning of A
  • Meaning of A the nuclear mass in u is close to A, but not exactly A because of binding energy
Example
  • 23892U has 92 protons, 238 nucleons and 146 neutrons
Periodic table
  • Periodic table it is ordered by atomic number

Part 4 of 8Isotopes

1Isotopes
  • Isotopes nuclides of the same element with the same Z but different numbers of neutrons, so different A
2Chemistry
  • Chemistry isotopes have the same chemical properties because the electron configuration depends only on Z
3Nuclear properties and mass
  • Nuclear properties and mass these differ between isotopes
4Hydrogen
  • Hydrogen protium 11H, deuterium 21H and tritium 31H (one proton, two neutrons, radioactive)
    • (one proton and one neutron)
5Carbon
  • Carbon mostly 126C with some 136C and a trace of radioactive 146C used in carbon dating
6Separation
  • Separation isotopes can be separated by mass, for example in a mass spectrometer where r = mv/(qB) depends on the ion's mass

Part 5 of 8Nuclear equations

Conservation
  • Conservation the total nucleon number A and the total charge (sum of Z) are conserved
Balancing
  • Balancing check the top and bottom numbers separately
Alpha decay
  • 23892U → 23490Th + 42He
  • Nucleons238 = 234 + 4.
  • Charge92 = 90 + 2.
Beta-minus decay
  • Beta-minus decay a neutron changes into a proton and an electron and antineutrino are emitted, so Z rises by one and A is unchanged
  • 146C → 147N + 0−1e + antineutrino.

Part 6 of 8Size and density

Nuclear radius
  • R = R0A1/3 with R0 ≈ 1.2 × 10−15 m
Density
  • Density volume and mass are both proportional to A, so all nuclei have roughly the same density, about 2 × 1017 kg m−3
Empty atom
  • Empty atom nearly all the mass lies in a volume about 10−15 times that of the atom

Part 7 of 8Nuclear stability

Repulsion
  • Repulsion protons repel each other electrostatically
Strong nuclear force
  • Strong nuclear force an attractive force between nucleons with a range of about 3 fm that overcomes the electrostatic repulsion at those distances
Light stable nuclei
  • Light stable nuclei they have about equal numbers of protons and neutrons
Heavy stable nuclei
  • Heavy stable nuclei they need more neutrons than protons, because extra neutrons add attraction without adding repulsion
Unstable nuclides
  • Unstable nuclides those with too many or too few neutrons decay

Part 8 of 8More from the specification

Discrete Atomic Energy Levels
  • Bound electrons occupy quantized, discrete energy levels;
    • transitions between these levels require absorption or release of specific quanta of energy.
Emission and Absorption Spectra
  • An emission spectrum displays bright coloured lines where downward electronic transitions release a photon with energy ΔE = hf = hc/λ.
Photon Wavelength Calculation
  • The discrete wavelengths observed in hydrogen emission experiments correspond precisely to energy differences between initial and final quantum shells.
Continuous vs Line Spectra
  • An incandescent black-body source emits a continuous spectrum across all wavelengths,
  • whereas gaseous atoms emit sharp spectral lines characteristic of their element.
Spectral lines
  • Dark or bright lines in a spectrum at wavelengths characteristic of elements.
Rutherford scattering
  • Scattering of charged particles by a nucleus through electrostatic repulsion alone.
Subatomic particle
  • A particle smaller than an atom, e.g. the electron.
Photon
  • A quantum of electromagnetic energy, E = hf
Wavelength
  • Distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave
Absorption
  • The conversion of wave energy to internal energy of the medium.
Scattering
  • Deflection of particles from their original path.
Absorbed
  • Taken in by an object, with light energy transferred to thermal energy.
Energy level
  • A discrete energy an electron in an atom can have
Photon energy
  • E = hf = hc/λ, the energy carried by one photon.
Emission spectrum
  • The set of discrete wavelengths emitted by excited atoms of an element.
∆E
∆E hf = E2 − E1
What the symbols mean: E = energy of one photon (J) · h = Planck constant (6.63 × 10−34 J s) · f = frequency (Hz)

Key terms

TermMeaning
NucleonA proton or a neutron.
Proton number ZNumber of protons in the nucleus.
Nucleon number ANumber of protons plus neutrons.
IsotopesNuclides with the same Z but different A.
NuclideA specific type of nucleus with given Z and A.
Unified atomic mass unit1/12 of the mass of a carbon-12 atom, 1.66 × 10⁻²⁷ kg.

Avoid these mistakes

1
Mixing up A and Z — Z is the number of protons (bottom) and A is the nucleons (top).
2
Saying isotopes have different numbers of protons — they have the same Z and different neutron numbers.
3
Thinking isotopes differ in chemistry — the electrons are the same.
4
Forgetting to balance both A and Z in nuclear equations.
5
Using the electron mass as part of the nuclear mass — it is negligible.

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