Ch 10: Chapter 10: Nuclear Chemistry
About This Chapter
How It Works:
- Identify the lessons in Prentice Hall Physical Science's Nuclear Chemistry chapter with which you need help.
- Find the corresponding video lessons within this companion course chapter.
- Watch fun videos that cover the nuclear chemistry topics you need to learn or review.
- Complete the quizzes to test your understanding.
- If you need additional help, rewatch the videos until you've mastered the material or submit a question for one of our instructors.
Students will learn:
- Uses of radioactive materials
- Types of radioactive decay
- How to use the half-life to estimate radioactive decay
- Methods of radiometric dating
- Processes of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion
- Carbon dating, imaging and other nuclear chemistry applications
Prentice Hall is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, which is not affiliated with Study.com.

1. What Are Radioactive Materials? - Definition, Examples, Uses & Benefits
Radioactive materials are all around us. Some are beneficial, while others may cause us harm. In this lesson you'll learn what radioactive materials are and explore where they come from and how they can be useful to us.

2. Types of Radioactive Decay and Their Effect on the Nucleus
What is meant by the term 'radioactive'? In this lesson we will break down the three main types of nuclear decay particles and discuss their composition, their effect on the nucleus, and their applications.

3. Half-life: Calculating Radioactive Decay and Interpreting Decay Graphs
What causes a radioactive particle to decay? We'll never really know, but our best guess lies in probability. In this lesson, we are going to focus on the half-life, a way of measuring the probability that a particle will react.

4. Radiometric Dating: Methods, Uses & the Significance of Half-Life
Radiometric dating is used to estimate the age of rocks and other objects based on the fixed decay rate of radioactive isotopes. Learn about half-life and how it is used in different dating methods, such as uranium-lead dating and radiocarbon dating, in this video lesson.

5. What Is Nuclear Fission? - Definition & Process
The nuclei of some atoms decay by breaking into two smaller, more stable nuclei during a process called nuclear fission. Learn more about the process of nuclear fission and test your knowledge with a quiz.

6. What Is Nuclear Fusion? - Definition & Process
Learn about the process of nuclear fusion and where it occurs naturally in our universe. Then go further by learning how we have harnessed its power and about some future possible uses for nuclear fusion.

7. Fusion, Fission, Carbon Dating, Tracers & Imaging: Applications of Nuclear Chemistry
What can the sun do that we can't? How do carbon atoms 'date'? Are radioactive isotopes helpful in the medical field? The answers to these questions can be found in this lesson on the applications of nuclear chemistry.
Earning College Credit
Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.
To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page
Transferring credit to the school of your choice
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.
Other Chapters
Other chapters within the Prentice Hall Physical Science: Online Textbook Help course
- Chapter 1: Science Skills
- Chapter 2: Properties of Matter
- Chapter 3: States of Matter
- Chapter 4: Atomic Structure
- Chapter 5: The Periodic Table
- Chapter 6: Chemical Bonds
- Chapter 7: Chemical Reactions
- Chapter 8: Solutions, Acids, and Bases
- Chapter 9: Carbon Chemistry
- Chapter 11: Motion
- Chapter 12: Forces and Motion
- Chapter 13: Forces in Fluids
- Chapter 14: Work, Power, and Machines
- Chapter 15: Energy
- Chapter 16: Thermal Energy and Heat
- Chapter 17: Mechanical Waves and Sound
- Chapter 18: The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Light
- Chapter 19: Optics
- Chapter 20: Electricity
- Chapter 21: Magnetism