Ask A Scientist Chemistry Archive

name         Yann B.
status       educator
age          40s

Question -   It is just a stupid question, but...
During the transmutation of tritium in helium (helium3), an electron is emitted, which 
can be detected, so the helium do not retain this electron, and should have just *one* 
electron coming from the original tritium atom...
The question is : how many electron does the helium3 contain (should be 2, if I remember my 
basics)? Does this reaction from tritium to helium  produce helium3 or an ionic (charged) 
form of helium3 ?
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This is NOT a stupid question. I do not know the answer, but I sure want to!! I have 
searched the web many times and cannot find an answer to the more general question. When 
any radioactive decay occurs, most often the daughter product is not the same chemical 
element as the original element. What happens chemically? If an alpha particle is emitted 
the element formed
from a element with atomic number N -----> N^-2, or in beta decay N-----> N^+1. If there 
is a cascade of fissions the chemical identity of the decaying nucleus may undergo several 
changes, again: What is happening chemically???
My suspicion is that this causes structural damage in solids but it is not clear what 
happens in liquids and gases.

 Vince Calder
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