Question

Why are nuclear transmutations involving neutrons generally easier to accomplish than those involving protons or alpha particles?

Short answer

Nuclear transmutations involving neutrons are generally easier to accomplish than those involving protons or alpha particles because neutrons have no electrical charge, resulting in no electrostatic repulsion and lower energy requirements to penetrate the nucleus. Additionally, neutrons can contribute to the stability of the resultant nucleus, making these transmutations more likely to result in stable nuclei.

Step-by-step solution

Consider electrostatic repulsion

To induce nuclear transmutations, it is necessary to overcome the electrostatic repulsion force between the charged particles. Neutrons carry no electrical charge, and therefore, they do not experience any electrostatic repulsion when approaching the nucleus of an atom. In contrast, protons and alpha particles (which consist of two protons and two neutrons) carry a positive charge leading to a repulsive force with the target nucleus. This makes it more difficult for protons or alpha particles to approach the target nucleus and take part in nuclear transmutations.

Analyze the energy requirements for transmutations

When it comes to nuclear reactions, the energy barrier plays a crucial role. As neutrons have no electric charge, they can easily penetrate the nucleus without need for a high amount of energy, thus making the nuclear transmutations more likely to occur. On the other hand, charged particles like protons and alpha particles need to overcome the energy barrier created by the repulsive electrostatic forces. As a result, transmutations involving protons or alpha particles generally require higher energy to occur.

Consider the stability of the resultant nucleus

Nuclear stability depends on the balance between the number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus. Neutrons can help stabilize the nucleus by compensating for the repulsive electrostatic force between protons. Additionally, neutrons can bind to protons to form more stable nuclei, whereas the addition of protons or alpha particles may lead to an unstable nucleus. So, transmutations involving neutrons are more likely to result in stable nuclei than those involving protons or alpha particles. In conclusion, nuclear transmutations involving neutrons are generally easier to accomplish compared to those involving protons or alpha particles due to the absence of electrostatic repulsion, lower energy requirements, and the higher likelihood of producing a stable nucleus.