Classification of Nuclides

Truman P. Kohman, an American chemist who worked in the field of nuclear physics, coined the term “Nuclide” in 1947. The term nuclide or nuclide comes from the word nucleus, which means “nuclear particle.” It is classified as a nuclear species.

A nuclide is similar to an atom or a nucleus, but it differs from both of these entities. It is distinguished by the presence of a large number of protons and neutrons.

In layman’s terms, a nuclide is a type of atom or nuclear nucleus. This substance is classified according to its nucleus composition, the number of protons in it, the number of neutrons in it, and the amount of energy it contains.

Learn about nuclides, daughter nuclides, radiation-emitting radioactive nuclides, parent nuclides, and stable nuclides on the following pages.

Nuclide Definition 

The mass number (A) and the atomic number (N) of a nuclide are used to describe it (Z). A nuclide must have sufficient energy content to have a measurable lifetime, i.e., more than 1010 seconds, in order to be considered distinct from other elements.

The term nuclide is not synonymous with the term isotope; rather, it refers to any member of a group of nuclides that share the same atomic number but differ in their mass number.

For example, the nucleus of chlorine – 37 contains 17 protons and 20 neutrons, which distinguishes it from the nuclei of sodium – 23 that contain 11 protons and 12 neutrons, and the nucleus of chlorine – 35 that contains 17 protons and 18 neutrons.

Nuclide Symbols

In addition to a chemical element symbol (E), each nuclide also has an atomic number (Z), which represents the number of protons contained within the nucleus, and a mass number (A), which represents the total number of protons and neutrons contained within the nucleus.

It is customary to express nuclides in terms of the letters AXZ, where “A” represents the total number of protons and neutrons, “Z” represents the number of protons, and “XZ” represents the difference between A and Z representing the number of neutrons.

Take, for example, 37Cl17.

Cl is an abbreviation for chlorine – 37.

Let’s look at another illustration:

The symbol for the “Li” element is represented by the following notation:

a = total number of protons and neutrons = 7 in the atom 7Li3 nucleon number A

The proton number is equal to Z = the total number of protons, which is equal to 3.

Li is the symbol for the chemical element lithium (E)

Nuclides and Radioactive Decay

Nuclides are associated with radioactive decay and can exist as either stable or unstable species depending on their stability.

There are approximately 1,700 nuclides known, of which 300 are stable and the remaining 700 are radioactive.

Parent Nuclide and Daughter Nuclide

A parent nuclide is a nuclide that can be determined. Isotope whose radioactive decay products are certain daughter nuclides is referred to as a daughter nuclide. During the process of radioactive decay, it is a nuclide that decays into a daughter nuclide, which is a radioactive decay product.

For example, after undergoing + decay, the nucleus of Na-22 decays into the nucleus of Ne-22. In this case, Na-22 is the parent nuclide and Ne-22 is the daughter nuclide of the nuclide pair.

Here are a few more examples to illustrate my point:

Tellurium, or Te-131, undergoes + decay, resulting in the formation of a daughter nuclide known as Iodine – 131.

In this case, Iodine – 131 is the nucleus that gave rise to Xenon – 131.

Hg – 208 is produced as a result of the nuclear reaction that occurs with Au-208.

Additionally, the examples above on parent nuclide and daughter nuclide demonstrate how these two are related to one another.

Some of you may be familiar with isotopes, which are two elements that share the same atomic number but differ in their mass number. Let’s take a look at how these isotopes match up with stable nuclides to understand why:

Stable Nuclides

300 nuclides are non-radioactive or stable, out of a total of 1,700 nuclides.

A stable nuclide is a nuclide that does not decay through radioactive decay. When we speak of stable isotopes, we are referring to elements that have not undergone radioactive decay, whereas radioactive nuclides are nuclides that have undergone radioactive decay.

Do You Know?

Eighty of the recognised chemical elements have at least one stable nuclide, making up a total of eighty elements. These comprise the primary eighty-two elements, ranging from hydrogen to lead, with the exception of two elements, technetium (element 43) and promethium (element 61), which do not have any stable nuclides and are therefore not included. As of December 2016, there were a total of 253 “stable” nuclides that had been identified.

Nuclide

As we all know, the nucleus is made up of protons as well as neutrons, and it is the most stable part of the body. We know that a particular element is made up of different isotopes, and that these nucleons, which are nothing more than the sum of the protons and neutrons present in the nucleus, are referred to as nuclides in the scientific community.

To put it another way, the nucleus of a specific isotope is referred to as a nucleus.

Classifications of nuclides

• Isotopes – Isotopes are nuclides that have the same number of protons as one another but have a different number of neutrons than one another. Sodium, for example, has an atomic number of 11 and an atomic mass of 23 grams. Isotopes of sodium are sodium atoms that have the atomic numbers 22 and 24 but have the atomic number 11; these are the atoms that have the atomic numbers 22 and 24 but have the atomic number 11.

• Isobars – In nuclear physics, isobars are nuclides that are made up of different elements but have the same mass number but have a different number of protons and neutrons in their nuclei; they can be found in all elements except helium.

• Isotones – Isotones are defined as nuclides that have the same number of neutrons but have a different number of protons and, as a result, have a different number of mass numbers. Consider the atom carbon 6, which is carbon with an atomic number of 6 and a mass of 13, as well as the atom nitrogen 7, which is nitrogen with an atomic number of 7 and an atomic mass of 14 and another atom carbon 6, which is carbon with an atomic number of 6 and a mass of 13. As a result, you can conclude that the total number of neutrons present in carbon 6 equals the total number of neutrons present in nitrogen 7.

• Mirror Nuclei – Mirror nuclei are isobars in which the number of protons and neutrons differs by only one unit and in which the protons and neutrons are swapped are isobars with the same number of protons and neutrons.

• Nuclear Isomers – Nuclear isomers are nuclides that have the same number of protons and neutrons for the same mass number, but have different energy states. Nuclear isomers are nuclides that have the same number of protons and neutrons for the same mass number, but have different energy states.

Conclusion:

We already know that atoms have a small nucleus that contains positively charged protons and neutrons that are devoid of charge, as well as negatively charged particles that are located a short distance away from the nucleus’s nucleus. Every element is made up of a combination of a certain number of these subatomic particles. The proton is the particle responsible for determining which element an atom belongs to. One proton represents hydrogen, two represents helium, three represents lithium, and so on. Demonstrate that an element has an atomic number, which corresponds to the number of protons contained within the nucleus. Each atom has a unique mass number as well. While only protons are counted for atomic number, both protons and neutrons are counted for mass number because protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass unit as an atomic nucleus. When compared to protons and neutrons, electrons are so much less massive that we recognise them as such when we consider mass. It is actually just the number of particles in the nucleus that constitutes Sama’s number. Defining atoms are those that have six protons and six neutrons; for example, a carbon atom has 12 protons and six neutrons. Carbon atoms always have six protons in their nucleus. They wouldn’t be carbonated if they didn’t do so.