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Ch.21 - Nuclear Chemistry
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.21 - Nuclear ChemistryProblem 67
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Chapter 21, Problem 67

Hydroxyl radicals can pluck hydrogen atoms from molecules (“hydrogen abstraction”), and hydroxide ions can pluck protons from molecules (“deprotonation”). Write the reaction equations and Lewis dot structures for the hydrogen abstraction and deprotonation reactions for the generic carboxylic acid R¬COOH with hydroxyl radical and hydroxide ion, respectively. Why is the hydroxyl radical more toxic to living systems than the hydroxide ion?

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Step 1: Identify the reactants and products for the hydrogen abstraction reaction. The hydroxyl radical (•OH) will react with the generic carboxylic acid (R-COOH) to form water (H2O) and a radical species (R-COO•).
Step 2: Write the balanced chemical equation for the hydrogen abstraction reaction: R-COOH + •OH → R-COO• + H2O.
Step 3: Draw the Lewis dot structures for the reactants and products in the hydrogen abstraction reaction. Show the unpaired electron on the hydroxyl radical and the radical site on the carboxylate radical (R-COO•).
Step 4: Identify the reactants and products for the deprotonation reaction. The hydroxide ion (OH-) will react with the generic carboxylic acid (R-COOH) to form water (H2O) and a carboxylate ion (R-COO-).
Step 5: Write the balanced chemical equation for the deprotonation reaction: R-COOH + OH- → R-COO- + H2O. Draw the Lewis dot structures for the reactants and products, showing the lone pairs on the hydroxide ion and the carboxylate ion.
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Textbook Question

The spent fuel elements from a fission reactor are much more intensely radioactive than the original fuel elements. (b) Given that only two or three neutrons are released per fission event and knowing that the nucleus undergoing fission has a neutron-to-proton ratio characteristic of a heavy nucleus, what sorts of decay would you expect to be dominant among the fission products?

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Open Question
Which type or types of nuclear reactors have these characteristics? (a) Does not use a secondary coolant (b) Creates more fissionable material than it consumes (c) Uses a gas, such as He or CO2, as the primary coolant.
Open Question
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Textbook Question

A laboratory rat is exposed to an alpha-radiation source whose activity is 14.3 mCi. (a) What is the activity of the radiation in disintegrations per second? In becquerels?

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Textbook Question

A laboratory rat is exposed to an alpha-radiation source whose activity is 14.3 mCi. (b) The rat has a mass of 385 g and is exposed to the radiation for 14.0 s, absorbing 35% of the emitted alpha particles, each having an energy of 9.12 * 10-13 J. Calculate the absorbed dose in millirads and grays.

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