Question

Explain with an example each nuclear transmutation and artificial radioactivity. What is the difference between them?

Answer 1

1. Nuclear transmutation involves the transformation of a stable nucleus into another nucleus takes place which can be either stable or unstable.
2. Artificial (induced) radioactivity is nuclear transmutation where the product nucleus is radioactive. The product nucleus decays spontaneously with the emission of radiation and particles.
   e.g.
   Step I: \[\ce{\underset{\text{Stable}}{^10_5B} + ^4_2He ->\underset{\text{Radioactive}}{^13_7N} + ^1_0n}\]
   
   Step II: \[\ce{\underset{\text{Radioactive}}{^13_7N} ->^13_6C + ^0_1e}\]  (spontaneous emission of positron)
   
   Step-I can be considered as nuclear transmutation as it produces a new nuclide \[\ce{^13_7N}\].
   However, the new nuclide is unstable (radioactive). Hence, step-I involves artificial (induced) radioactivity. Thus, in artificial transmutation, a stable element is collided with high-speed particles to form another radioactive element.