LPC Physics

The Chart of Nuclides

The Chart of Nuclides

Purpose:
The term nuclide refers to an atom or nucleus a characterized by the number of protons
(Z) and neutrons (N) that the nucleus contains. By listing the known nuclei, both stable
and radioactive, in an array on a graph of Z vs. N, a chart of nuclides is formed.
The chart of nuclides is somewhat analogous to the periodic chart of elements.
Pertinent nuclear information, such as stability, half-life and decay mode(s), is indicated
for each nuclide. Thus, the chart of nuclides gives the nuclear physicist information
about nuclei and nuclear reactions, much the same as the periodic chart of elements give
the chemist information about chemicals and chemical reactions.
This experiment is an exercise to use the chart of nuclides. It will be explained
how information is displayed on the chart; then questions will be asked about various
radioactive properties, decay schemes, and nuclear reactions. The answers to the
questions may be easily read from the chart once you are familiar with it.

Equipment:

Chart of Nuclides
Graph Paper

Theory:
The chart of nuclides is a display of the properties of the known nuclei at the positions
(Z, N) on a graphical plot of Z versus N. Because of the large number of nuclides, the
chart is usually shown in consecutive segments for convenience of handling.
The chemical element (symbol) is given at the extreme left of each horizontal row
in a heavy bordered square next to the proton (atomic) number Z (Figure 1). Below the
chemical symbol is the atomic weight of the element. Below the atomic weight is the
thermal neutron absorption cross section in barns (1 barn = 10-24 cm2). Thermal, or
slow, neutrons have an average speed on the order of 0.025 eV. (This is the average
energy of neutrons in a thermal nuclear reactor where fission neutrons are slowed down
by collisions with the moderator atoms until they are in thermal equilibrium with the
moderator.)
Each horizontal row in the chart represents the isotopes of a particular element
(same Z, different N). Similarly, a vertical column on the chart represents the nuclei of
different elements with the same number of neutrons. The neutron number N is given at
the bottom of the column.
At the top of each nuclide square or space, the symbol of the nuclide is listed,
followed by its mass number A ( A = Z + N ). For example, carbon-12 ( Z = 6, N = 6).
There is a great deal of information listed on the chart. Some of this information
is beyond the scope of the experiment. We will be concerned only with basic items.
General information on nuclide stability may be obtained at a glance from the shading or
color of the nuclide squares:
1. Gray-shaded squares isotopes that occur in nature and are generally considered
stable.
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The Chart of Nuclides

Chemical Element

Figure 1 Examples of the data display

in the chart of nuclides

Symbols
Radiations and Decay

alpha particle
negative electron
positron
+

gamma ray
n
neutron
p
proton
internal conversion electron
e
electron capture
IT
isometric transition
SF
spontaneous fission

1.00797

Atomic Weight (Carbon-12 Scale)

33

Thermal Neutron Absorption Cross

Section in Barns

Stable
Pd 108

Symbol, Mass Number

Percent Abundance
Activation Cross Section in Barns
to Two Isomers
Mass (Carbon-12 Scale)
Fission Product, Slow Neutron
Fission of U235

26.71
(.2 + 12)
107.9030

Artificially Radioactive Symbol

Fe 52
Half-Life
8h
+ .80,(263),
.17, 380, (1.43)

E2.38

microsecond (10-6s)
second
minute
hours
day
year

Modes of Decay, Radiation and

Energy in MeV; () Indicate Radiations
from Short-Lived Daughter
Disintegration Energy in MeV

Naturally Occurring or Otherwise

Available but Radioactive
Symbol, Mass Number
Ce 142
Percent Abundance
11.07
Half-Life
5 x 1015 y
Modes of Decay
a 1.5
Thermal Neutron Absorption
1
141.9090
Cross Section in Barns
Mass
Member of Naturally
Radioactive Decay Chain
Symbol, Mass Number

Po 218
RaA

Symbol

Half Life

3.05 m

a 6.00
218.0089

14 d

.161

e-

Mass

116.903

Symbol
Percent Abundance

7.61

IT .159

Half-Life
Modes of Decay,
Radiations and
Energies in Mev

Modes of Decay and Energies

Mass

Two Isomeric States

One Stable
Sn 117

Radioactive Upper Isomer Stable Lower Isomer

Two Isomeric States
Both Radioactive
Pm 145
? 16d
+ .45

18 y
, e
.068, .073

E .14

Time
s
s
m
h
d
y

Symbol

Symbol, Mass Number

Half-Lives, ? Indicates Uncertainty
Modes of Decay, Radiations and
Energies in MeV
Disintegration Energy in MeV

2 ofRadioactive
9
Radioactive Upper Isomer
Lower Isomer

LPC Physics

The Chart of Nuclides

2. White or color squares artificially produced radioactive isotopes. (Some charts

of nuclides have a colored coding concerning the range of half-lives and neutron
absorption properties. See specific chart for information.)
3. Black rectangles across the top of square
a. On gray-shaded squares radioactive nuclides found in nature with very long
half-lives [e.g. Ce-142 (t = 5 x 1016 years)]. Because of the long half-lives,
these nuclides are considered to be generally stable.
b. On white squares radioactive nuclides found in nature with wrelative short
half-lives [e.g. C-14 (t = 5730 years)]
4. Smaller black rectangle near top of square nuclide is a member of a natural
radioactive decay chain. The historic symbol is inserted in the black area, for
example Ra A for Po-238 and UX1 for Th-234.
5. Black triangle at bottom corner of square indicates nuclide is formed by fission of
U-235 or Pu-239, for example, Xe-140 and Sr-94 in the induced fission reaction
235
1
140
94
1
92 U + 0 n 54 Xe + 38 Sr + 2( 0 n )
Xe-140 and Sr-94 are radioactive. In other instances, the resulting nuclides
may be stable, e.g., Pd-108.
6. Vertically divided square indicates a nuclide with isomeric or metastable states.
The nuclide possesses states of different radioactive properties. The nuclei of the
different states of a particular nuclide are called nuclear isomers (same Z and N
numbers, but different radioactive properties). The isomeric states have different
energies or energy levels. (The lower energy state is commonly referred to as the
ground state and higher energy levels as isomeric states.) Frequently, the ground
state is a stable nuclide (e.g. Sn-117).
If two isomers exist, the higher-energy state is shown on the left. If three
isomers exist, the higher-energy state is shown on the left, with the lower state
below it or to the right of it, and the ground state to the right of both or below
them.
Data are displayed on each nuclide square. Pertinent data for this experiment on
the nuclide squares include:
1. Gray-shaded squares (stable nuclides)
a. First line symbol and mass number
b. Second line atom percent abundance, which is the percent of the natural
element this isotope represents
c. Third line thermal neutron cross-section
d. Fourth line atomic weight of nuclide atom (mass of nucleus and surrounding
electrons)
2. Black-topped gray-shaded squares (long lived radioactive nuclides found in nature)
Second line atom percent abundance, followed by half-life and mode(s) of
decay with decay particle energy in MeV. When more than one mode of
decay occurs, the most prominent mode appears first (above or to the left of
the other modes).
3. White squares (artificially produced radioactive nuclides) Similar to black-topped
gray squares with atom percent abundance absent.

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The Chart of Nuclides

Isomeric states have similar displays. Some charts of nuclides have color coding for the
range of half-lives and neutron absorption cross-sections. The half-life coding generally
appears in the upper half of the nuclide square and the cross-section coding in the bottom
half. The color codes are defined on the particular chart.
The arrangement of the chart of nuclides allows one to quickly determine the
nuclide change when a nuclear process occurs, either naturally or artificially induced.
This is done in accordance with the scheme illustrated in Figure 2.
1. Induced reactions. For an induced reaction, knowing the original nucleus and the
incident or in particle, the compound nucleus of the reaction is given in the square
of the in particle. For example, for the induced reaction of Be-9 being bombarded
by and alpha particle,
9
4 Be +
the compound nucleus is two squares diagonally upward to the right (refer to the
first diagram in Figure 2),
9
4
13
4 Be + 2 He ( 6 C*)
A neutron is the out particle in this reaction; hence, the product nucleus is one
square to the left of the compound nucleus C-13, which is the square of C-12:
(136 C*) 126 C + 01 n
In equation form the total reaction is
9
4
13
12
1
4 Be + 2 He ( 6 C*) 6 C + 0 n
or in abbreviated notation,
9
Be(, n )12 C
The second diagram in Figure 2 combines this process and the product nucleus is
given directly by the location of the reaction particles.
2. Radioactive decay. In this case we are concerned with only an out particle, and the
location of the daughter nucleus is obtained from the first diagram. For example, C14 (the parent nucleus) beta-decays (b-), so the daughter nucleus is one square
diagonally upward to the left (i.e. N-14).
Similarly, F-18 undergoes positron decay (b+, a positively charged
electron) and the daughter nucleus O-18 is one square diagonally downward
to the right.
Relative Locations of the Products of
Various Nuclear Processes
3

t out
out

He in

in
t in

- out

p in

d in

n out

Original
Nucleus

n in

d out

p out

+ out

He out

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LPC Physics

The Chart of Nuclides

Displacements Caused by Nuclear

Bomabardment Reactions
,3n

,2n
He,n

,n

p,n

p,
d,n
3
He,np

,n
n,2n

Original
Nucleus

,np

,p

n,

n,3He

,np
t,n
3
He,p
d,p
n,
t,np

t,p

n,p

Figure 2 Diagrams showing the relative locations of the products of various nuclear
processes and displacements caused by nuclear reactions.

Experiment:
Use the Chart of Nuclides to answer the following questions:
1. How are the isotopes of an element arranged on the chart?
2. Nuclides with the same number of neutrons are called isotones. How are they
arranged on the chart?
3. Nuclides with the same mass number are called isobars. What would be the
orientation of a line connecting an isobaric series?
4. List all the naturally occurring generally stable nuclides* that have an odd number
of protons and an odd number of neutrons. Also, comment on the ratio of
neutrons to protons for increasingly heavier nuclides.
5. List the percent abundances of the naturally occurring nuclides of (a) oxygen; (b)
uranium. Do they add up to 100 percent? If not, explain.
6. List the elements that have only one stable isotope.
7. Which element(s) has the greatest number of stable isotopes? Give the number of
isotopes.

Stable or with extremely long half-lives (>109 years). List the stable nuclides and the long-life nuclides
separately.

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The Chart of Nuclides

8. Which element(s) has the greatest number of radioactive isotopes? Give the
number of isotopes.
9. List an example radioactive nuclide and its half-life for each of the following halflife ranges:
a. ms (microseconds, 10-6 s)
b. s
c. min
d. h
e. days
f. years
10. Which nuclide on the chart has (a) the shortest half-life; (b) the longest half-life?
List their half-lives.
11. How many nuclides are the products of slow neutron fission of U-235 or Pu-239,
and how many of these nuclides are stable?
12. Beginning with the following radioactive parent nuclei, trace their decay
processes and depict the mode and direction of each decay process on the chart.
For example,
14

N-

14

(a) O-20, (b) Fe-52, (c) Po-197, (d) Dy-150 (list the energies of the emitted alpha
particles in this decay process beside the directional arrows), (e) Ho-162.
13. Beginning with the following radioactive parent nuclei, trace the decay chains.
List the modes and direction of the process on the chart as in Step 12. The first
three decay chains are found in nature, but the fourth chain is not. When you
have completed its decay processes, explain why the fourth chain is not found in
nature. (a) U-238 (uranium series), (b) U-235 (actinium series), (c) Pu-244
(plutonium series originally called the thorium series beginning with Th-232
before Pu-244 was discovered), (d) Np-237 (neptunium series). Why is this series
not found in nature?
14. Using the chart of nuclides, supply the product nucleus of each of the following
reactions. Also give the compound nucleus of each reaction.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

10

B(n,)
O(n,p)
7
Li(p,)
17
O(,np)
32
S(n,p)
3
H(d,n)
2
H(t,n)
16

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LPC Physics

The Chart of Nuclides

Results:
Write at least one paragraph describing the following:
what you expected to learn about the lab (i.e. what was the reason for conducting
the experiment?)
your results, and what you learned from them
Think of at least one other experiment might you perform to verify these results
Think of at least one new question or problem that could be answered with the
physics you have learned in this laboratory, or be extrapolated from the ideas in
this laboratory.

This laboratory experiment was adopted from

Jerry D. Wilson. Physics Laboratory Experiments, 2nd Edition. Lexington MA: D.C. Heath and
Company, 1986. Experiment 53

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The Chart of Nuclides

Clean-Up:
Before you can leave the classroom, you must clean up your equipment, and have your
instructor sign below. How you divide clean-up duties between lab members is up to
you.
Clean-up involves:
Completely dismantling the experimental setup
Removing tape from anything you put tape on
Drying-off any wet equipment
Putting away equipment in proper boxes (if applicable)
Returning equipment to proper cabinets, or to the cart at the front of the room
Throwing away pieces of string, paper, and other detritus (i.e. your water bottles)
Shutting down the computer
Anything else that needs to be done to return the room to its pristine, pre lab form.
I certify that the equipment used by ________________________ has been cleaned up.
(students name)

______________________________ , _______________.
(instructors name)

(date)

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The Chart of Nuclides

Pre-Lab Assignment
Read the experiment and answer the following questions before coming to
class on lab day.
1. What is a nuclide?

2. What is the chart of nuclides?

3. How are natural stable isotopes and natural long-lived radioactive isotopes
distinguished on the chart?

4. How are artificially produced isotopes and natural short-lived radioactive isotopes
distinguished on the chart?

5. What are nuclear isomers, and how are they distinguished on the chart?

6. What is the difference between the mass number and atomic weight of a nuclide?

7. List the change(s) in the proton number (Z) and/or the neutron number (N) for the
following nuclear processes and give the relative location of the daughter nucleus
to that of the parent nucleus on the chart:
(a) alpha decay
(b) beta minus (-) decay

(c) beta plus (+) decay

(d) gamma decay

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