Nucleor ProPertizs

t23

of neutrons' such nuclei are ideatical in

contain the sarne number of protons and different number
dsperi&nt properties' Nuclei having the $ame
their chemical properties uutiiff.. in mass and mass
has three isotopes' namely ordinary
hydrogen
Z but differcnt A are calted isotops.'For example,
(Z = l' A = 3)' These are indicated
u'itium
a{d
2)'
A'
I'
=
hydrogen {Z - l. A = 1), deuterium {Z =
are all isotopes
'fc' ?c' 'fc' ';c',gc
respectively by the symbotJi",'il: *a 'O. si*i"av,
I6'C and about l'1%
isotopes
*re
are
pe(cem
98.9
about
of carbon. Of the naturally o""ri"g *.tn*,
isotqles drat do not occur
rrr"* p".."nrug", * .ef"rJd ro as the netwal abunilances. The

ic'

1T

NU.LEARPR'PERT*S

i. *i.

naturally can be produced by nuclear reactions'

mess units (u). In {his rnass scale' the neural
The masses of nuclei ur.Jp""in"a in $nified atornic
and I electron)
neutral hydrogen atom (l
l62C
arom is given the value ti.O u. Tfre nlass of the
-p-roton
kg, we can
x
lo-27
1-6?353
is
atim
hydrogen
is then 1.007g25 u. Since the rest mass of a neu{ral
write

u = (1.673s3

x ro-"

= roros+ x

ul(ffi)

10-17

(r7.

kg

vott (ev) using the Einstein's

ofteu rhe masses are also specified in terms of electron
is
I
u
of
relation E ,rc2. Thus' the energy equivalent

(r.66054

In the earlier chapters, our discussions have been mainly concentrated around atorns, molecules, and
solids. Now we intend to divert our attertion to smaller systems-the nuclei, which are constituents
of atoms. Though similarities exist between atomic and nuclear properties and phenomena,
differences, too. exist between the two. In atomic physics, the electrons experience the force
provided by the nucleus. However, the constituents of the nucleus move about under the influence
generated in the nucleus itsetf. Difficulties are there in understanding this force. Still a
lot of information about the nuclei can be obtained by studying their properties, structures,
radioactive decay, interaction with other nuclei, etc. In this chapter, we discuss some of the nuclear
properties including a brief outline of the origin of the nuclear force.

of a force

x rq-" tgl tz.qg?g.

Hence.

tot

rnass energy

= 931.4? Mev
( 1?.1a)

Iu=931.5MeV/c?

mass scale is given in Table l7'l

The rest mass of some of the basic particles in the different

mass scale
Thble 17.1 Rest mass of sorne basic particles in different
Mass

Partirle

MeV/c2

kg

77.1 CONSTITUENTS OF

NUCLEI

The work of Rutherford, Bohg aad others conclusively proved that the a{om as a whole is neutral
with its positive charge confined in a very small region at its cntre, called the nucleus. Various
suggestions were put forth. regarding the constituents of the nucleus. One of the suggestions
was the proton-<lectron model in which it was postulated that the nucleus contained A protons and
{A - A electrons. Under this assumption, the nuclear mass becomes about A times the proton mass
and the charge of the nucleus becomes A(+ e) + @ - AF e) = Ze, in agreement with experiment.
As this model led to a number of dilficultiest it was discarded. As akeady discussed, the presence
of electron in the nucleus is not consistent with uncertainty principle. With the discovery of neutron
in 1932 by James Chadwick, the dilemma came to an end and it was accepted that the nucleus
consists of Z protons and A - Z neutrons, where A is the mass number and Z the atomic number
of the nucleus. The neutron number N equals A - Z. Except for their electric charges, the proton
and neutron are similar and so they are classified as nucleons. The different types of nuclei are often
referred to as nuclides.
To specify a given auclide, oire need gire only its Z and A values and a nuclide is then denoted
t62C
denotes a carbon nucleus
|X, where X is the chemical symbol for the element. Thus,
containing 6 protons and 12 nucleons. The chernical properties of any elernent depend on its nurnber
of electrons which is the sarne as the number of pro8ons Z. In number of cases, nuclei are found to

as

322

r)

0.511

0.00054858

10-rr

Electron

9.1094

Proton

1.67262

L0-21

rffi?276

938.27

10-27

1-008665

939.57

Neutron

t.67493

l0-2i

1.m7825

938.78

lH

atom

17.2 NUCLEAR

1.6?353

SIZE
is very 1fu27r'-

It

is found that

spatial ex{ent
It is very ditficult to define the size of nuclei as their
are slightly flattened or elongated' From
some
tho{rgh
most of the nuclei hau. a spheri"al shape,

differentexperirnents,itisfoundthatthenuclarchargedensityp(r)isroughtyconstantthroughout
of certain nuclei'

of nuclear charge density

the nucleus. Figure 17.1 illustrates the radial variation

Fronrthefigureitisobviousthatnucleonsdonotcongregarcnearthecentreofthenucleus.
is approximately a constant' If R is the radius
It inrplies that the numbe. of nu"l"on. per unit volurne

of the

nucleus

Numberof nucleons
Volume of the nucleus

i-=--=

-(413)

ttR'

constant