the uranium decay chain - it's not just an alpha emitter!

this video is about uranium ore, pitchblende - and the natural (radio-)isotope mix that comes with it.
uranium is indeed an alpha emitter - but don't be fooled, this is not the only radiation emitted by uranium ore! there are alpha and beta particles, gamma rays, and even neutrons...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• atom
• uranium
• nuclear
• mineral
• collection
• radioactive
• radioaktiv
• radioactivity
• decay
• ionizing
• radiation
• uran
• radioaktivität
• strahlung
• ionisierende
• minerals
• mineralien
• zerfall
• ore
• erz
• uranerz
• uraninite
• pitchblende
• pechblende
• hartenstein
• wismut
• chain
• scheme
• zerfallsreihe
• u-238
• 238
• u-235
• 235
• alpha
• beta
• gamma
• daughter
• nuclides
• chart
• fission

[MrKaddan]

So take some pure Uranium and leave it for however long it takes, and in the end it is Lead?

[bionerd23]

@MrKaddan

in theory, yes. :P

if you wait one-hundred billion years, there will only be single uranium atoms left, and most of it will just be LEAD.

[TheCaptainLulz]

The biggest thing to worry about with uranium ore is the toxicity of the uranium. Uranium if ingested will do the same thing cadmium does to the kidneys, And they can die pretty quick. Its alos extremely toxic to the liver. Thats usually a far more real hazard than the radiation.

[bionerd23]

@TheCaptainLulz

true, but it also needs to be in a water-soluble compound for this... the pure pitchblende (UO2 etc.) will not do much by itself when ingested. same as mercury, for example. on the other hand, uranyl nitrate is extremely poisonous, for example.

[windogmassey1]

Does the U236 take 4 billion and some years to go to lead or to Thorium? Thanks

[bionerd23]

@windogmassey1

no, U-238 has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. U-236 has a half life of over 20 million years. that means half of the isotope will have decayed to the daughter nuclide, Th-232, in that time. to estimate when half of the U-236 atoms will actually have decayed to Pb-208, you will have to take each daughter nuclide's half life into consideration, too, of course.

[kimhunter2]

Corporatism is threatening to open up uranium mines in Canada's delicate arctic. We all need to be the change in order to take back our planet.

[akacpkiller21]

I ran out of lube so I masturbated with pure uranium. Needless to say My penis is a needle.

[superbungabunga]

uranium 238 45,000,000,000 years to decay to half

[NecipAksoy]

o my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that guy is crazy that thing is very poison stuff if you stay there to long you will die or get cancer

[Ragnar1001]

Eine recht gute Probe mit einer gut ausgeprägten blasigen Oberfläche

[zetkaoo]

nice uraninite specimen :D is it from pribram, czech republic?

good video :)

[skateboy159]

does uranium melt like lead?

[KarbineKyle]

Heavy elements, like Am-241, for example, is mostly an α emitter, but can also undergo cluster decay, where Am-241 will emit a Si-34 nucleus once in a while. α particles are the most massive in eV (electron volts) but the least penetrating. ß- (electron) and ß+ (positron) is the most common form of decay. EC (Electron capture is very common too). This can excite and emit X-rays and γ-rays. X-rays are emitted from the valence electrons of the atom: γ-rays are emitted from the nucleus of the atom.

[dieselscience]

@MrPenguinPerson What you're seeing here is ore (mixture of minerals, shown by a really cute & smart German chick) containing Uranium. U atoms are so big that they sometimes spontaneously break apart and release energy and particles - called 'radioactivity.' There different forms of energy (gamma, x-ray, radio, light, heat) and different particles (protons, neutrons, nucleus from a helium atom='alpha particle') Start with basic chemistry and you'll understand it better.