![]() ![]() Fission usually does not occur naturally, but is induced by bombardment with neutrons. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different products. This decomposition is called fission, the breaking of a large nucleus into smaller pieces. Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon-that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56 (see ). As of this writing, 22 transuranium elements have been produced and officially recognized by IUPAC several other elements have formation claims that are waiting for approval. The elements beyond element 92 (uranium) are called transuranium elements. The radiation produced by their decay is used to image or treat various organs or portions of the body, among other uses. Radioactive isotopes of several dozen elements are currently used for medical applications. Nuclear medicine has developed from the ability to convert atoms of one type into other types of atoms. Some of this highly radioactive plutonium is used to produce military weapons, and the rest presents a serious storage problem because they have half-lives from thousands to hundreds of thousands of years.Īlthough they have not been prepared in the same quantity as plutonium, many other synthetic nuclei have been produced. Heavier isotopes of plutonium-Pu-240, Pu-241, and Pu-242-are also produced when lighter plutonium nuclei capture neutrons. ![]()
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