TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

DECAY SERIES [9 records]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 - external organization data 2011-04-27

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chemistry
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Universal entry(ies)
232Th
symbol
Th232
symbol, obsolete
CONT

Thorium(chemical symbol Th) is a naturally-occurring radioactive metal found at very low levels in soil, rocks, and water. It has several different isotopes, both natural and man-made, all of which are radioactive. The most common form of thorium is thorium-232, found naturally.... Thorium-232 has a half-life of 14 billion(14 x 109) years, and decays by alpha emission, with accompanying gamma radiation. Thorium-232 is the top of a long decay series that contains key radionuclides such as radium-228, its direct decay product, and radon-220.... The half-life of thorium-232 is about 14 billion years.

OBS

thorium-232;232Th: term and symbol recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (UIPAC).

OBS

thorium 232; Th232: obsolete term and symbol.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chimie
  • Physique nucléaire
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
Entrée(s) universelle(s)
232Th
symbol
Th232
symbol, obsolete
CONT

Les radioéléments primordiaux sont le potassium 40, l'uranium 238 et le thorium 232 qui ont respectivement zéro, treize et dix descendants radioactifs principaux.

OBS

thorium-232;232Th : terme et symbole recommandés par l'Union internationale de chimie pure et appliquée (UICPA).

OBS

thorium 232; Th232 : terme et symbole vieillis.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Química
  • Física nuclear
  • Compartimiento - Comisión Canadiense de Seguridad Nuclear
Entrada(s) universal(es)
232Th
symbol
Th232
symbol, obsolete
Save record 1

Record 2 2009-11-09

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atomic Physics
CONT

Beta Decay--Isobaric transitions achieve a better balance in the number of protons and neutrons. The instability in an isobar series increases(generally) with its distance from the stable nuclide with the same A.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique atomique
CONT

Paraboles de masse/stabilité. Il est intéressant d'étudier les séries isobariques, c'est-à-dire les transitions existant entre les radio-isotopes de même nombre de masse A, mais de numéro atomique et nombre de neutrons différents.

Spanish

Save record 2

Record 3 - external organization data 2008-02-22

English

Subject field(s)
  • Geochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Radioactive Ores (Mining)
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Universal entry(ies)
U
symbol
DEF

A hard grey radioactive metal which occurs in a number of isotopic forms.

CONT

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that is also widely distributed on earth. Throughout the decay of uranium, a cascade of different radionuclides(a decay series) is formed until stable, non-radioactive lead is reached.

OBS

[Uranium is] used to fuel nuclear power plants.

OBS

As found in nature uranium consists of three isotopes of mass numbers 238, 235, 234 with relative abundances 99.28 per cent, 0.71 per cent and 0.006 per cent. ... symbol U, atomic number 92, atomic weight 238.0 ...

French

Domaine(s)
  • Géochimie
  • Chimie
  • Minerais radioactifs (Mines métalliques)
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
Entrée(s) universelle(s)
U
symbol
DEF

Métal lourd, radioactif, blanc argent, faisant partie du groupe des actinides et souvent associé au thorium.

OBS

Numéro atomique : 92. Masse atomique : 238,03 [...] Isotopes : de227U à255U. Uranium naturel : 3 isotopes radioactifs238U = 99.28 %,235U =0,71 %,234U =0,006 %.

OBS

[L'uranium est] utilisé comme combustible dans les centrales nucléaires.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Geoquímica
  • Química
  • Minerales radioactivos (Minas metálicas)
  • Compartimiento - Comisión Canadiense de Seguridad Nuclear
Entrada(s) universal(es)
U
symbol
DEF

Metal, número atómico 92, muy denso, fusible a muy elevada temperatura, el de mayor peso atómico que se encuentra en la naturaleza; es el primer elemento de una serie radiactiva.

CONT

Durante largo tiempo, el uranio solamente fue subproducto del radio. Hoy tiene una importancia considerable como combustible de los reactores nucleares y materia explosiva de las bombas atómicas. En estas aplicaciones representa [un] papel importante el isótopo 235, el único de los tres naturales que [es] fisible.

Save record 3

Record 4 2001-06-13

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atomic Physics
DEF

A number of radioactive nuclides, each except the first being the daughter product of the previous one; the final member, the end product, although stable, is included in the family.

CONT

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that is also widely distributed on earth. Throughout the decay of uranium, a cascade of different radionuclides(a decay series) is formed until stable, non-radioactive lead is reached. One important member of the Uranium 238 decay series, the commonest form of uranium, is Radium 226.

OBS

Compare with "decay chain".

Key term(s)
  • series
  • family

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique atomique
DEF

Ensemble de nucléides radioactifs dans lequel chaque membre engendre le suivant par transmutation spontanée jusqu'à l'obtention d'un dernier membre non radioactif.

CONT

On appelle produits de filiation les différents produits des désintégrations successives à partir du nucléide radioactif initial, appelé «père»; tous ces produits forment une «famille radioactive».

Key term(s)
  • famille
  • série

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Física atómica
Save record 4

Record 5 2001-01-12

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chemistry
  • Atomic Physics
CONT

The other isotope, actinium-228, is a member of the thorium series resulting from the decay of thorium-232. This isotope, known also as mesothorium-2, has a half-life of 6. 13 hours. Isotopes ranging in mass number from 209 to 234 are known.

Key term(s)
  • Ac 228
  • Ac-228
  • mesothorium 2

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chimie
  • Physique atomique
DEF

Radioélément de période d'une durée de 6,13 heures.

Key term(s)
  • mésothorium-2
  • Ac-228
  • Ac 228

Spanish

Save record 5

Record 6 1996-06-06

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atomic Physics
  • Chemistry
DEF

The series of elements produced as successive intermediate products when the element uranium undergoes spontaneous natural radioactive disintegration into lead. Radium and radon are members of this series.

CONT

All elements found in natural sources with atomic number greater than 83 (bismuth) are radioactive. They belong to chains of successive decays, and all the species in one such chain constitute a radioactive family or series. ... One series has Uranium-238 ... as the parent substance and after 14 transformations, eight of them by alpha-particle emission ... and by beta-particle emission ..., reaches the stable end product Lead-206. This series is generally referred to as the uranium series.

OBS

Although the source ELSCI makes a slight distinction between "uranium series" and "uranium-radium series", defining the first as "The series of nuclides resulting from the decay of uranium-238" and defining the second as the "Radioactive decay series starting with U-238 and ending with the inactive lead isotope with mass number 206", it is the same in meaning. In addition, the source HACHE gives the two terms as true synonyms.

OBS

See also "decay series" and "decay chain" in Termium.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique atomique
  • Chimie
DEF

Ensemble de corps simples de filiation commençant à l'uranium et se terminant au plomb ou radium.

CONT

«famille (ou série) radioactive» : Nom donné aux 4 séries de nucléides radioactifs dont chacun se déduit du précédent par désintégration nucléaire spontanée et dont les pères nucléaires sont respectivement le thorium 232, le neptunium 237, l'uranium 238 et l'uranium 235. Chaque série aboutit à un produit terminal stable. Ces 4 familles radioactives sont appelées familles du thorium, du neptunium, de l'uranium et de l'actinium et les nombres de masse des éléments qui composent chacune d'elles sont respectivement de la forme 4 n, 4 n + 1, 4 n + 2 et 4 n + 3. Les familles du thorium, de l'uranium et de l'actinium dont le premier terme existe dans la nature sont appelées familles naturelles.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Física atómica
  • Química
DEF

Familia o serie radiactiva natural, constituida por los descendientes del uranio 238, y cuyo producto estable final es el plomo 206.

Save record 6

Record 7 - external organization data 1994-11-24

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chemistry
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
CONT

thoron : the radioactive gas produced by the radioactive decay of radium-224(which is produced through a series of radioactive decay steps from thorium-232), and which, through radioactive decay, gives rise to thoron daughters.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chimie
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
CONT

Thoron : élément gazeux radioactif produit par la désintégration radioactive du radium 224 (qui est lui-même produit par une série de désintégrations radioactives du thorium 232) et qui, au moyen de la désintégration radioactive, donne les produits de filiation du thoron.

Spanish

Save record 7

Record 8 - external organization data 1994-10-13

English

Subject field(s)
  • Atomic Physics
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
DEF

the radioactive gas produced by the radioactive decay of radium-224(which is produced through a series of radioactive decay steps from thorium-232), and which, through radioactive decay, gives rise to thoron daughters.

CONT

Monitoring records, including measurements of external radiation, radon and thoron and their daughters, and long-lived radionuclides, should also be maintained and made available ....

French

Domaine(s)
  • Physique atomique
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
DEF

élément gazeux radioactif produit par la désintégration radioactive du radium 224 (qui est lui-même produit par une série de désintégrations radioactives du thorium 232) et qui, au moyen de la désintégration radioactive, donne les produits de filiation du thoron.

CONT

Les fiches de surveillance, y compris les mesures du rayonnement externe, les mesures du radon, du thoron et de leurs produits de filiation, ainsi que des radionucléides de longue période d'activité doivent aussi être conservées et montrées aux intéressés.

Spanish

Save record 8

Record 9 1978-05-19

English

Subject field(s)
  • Chemistry
DEF

The series of nuclides resulting from the decay of U235, including actinium A, B, C, C', C", D, K, and X. Mass numbers of all members are given by 4n + 3, where n is an integer.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Chimie

Spanish

Save record 9

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