Chemistry
Nuclear chemistry
Radioactivity, half-life, binding energy.
Basics
Decay types
Alpha: a He nucleus. Beta: neutron ↔ proton + e±. Gamma: a high-energy photon. Stability depends on the n/p ratio and shells. Intensity roughly falls with distance squared.
Mass defect
A nucleus weighs less than its free nucleons. The defect times c² is binding energy. Near iron, binding per nucleon peaks, so fusion of lights and fission of heavies both release energy.
Formulas
Radioactive decay
Remaining nuclei. Activity A = λ N.
Symbols
-
λdecay constant -
t_{1/2}half-life
Binding energy
Mass defect Δm. Often quoted in MeV.
Symbols
-
Δmmass defect
In this field
Atoms and the periodic table
Atomic structure, nucleus and electrons, periods and groups.
Chemical bonding
Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds, plus molecular shape.
The mole and stoichiometry
Moles, molar mass, empirical formulas, and yield.
Gases and acids–bases
Ideal gas, pH, and buffers.
Thermo, equilibrium, kinetics
Enthalpy, Gibbs energy, K, and rate laws.
Electrochemistry and organic basics
Oxidation numbers, cells, Nernst, functional groups.
Solutions and kinetics
Concentration, colligative properties, rate laws.
Analytical chemistry
Titration, spectroscopy, and chromatography — measuring what is present and how much.
Polymers and solids
Crystals and glasses, metal–ionic–covalent solids, polymer chains and the glass transition.
Coordination compounds
Ligands, coordination number, crystal field, colour, and an 18-electron sketch.
Electrochemical cells
Galvanic versus electrolytic, Nernst, Faraday, and a corrosion sketch.
Phase equilibria and diagrams
Gibbs phase rule, unary diagrams, eutectics, and the lever rule.