Ce
Lanthanide
Cerium
Z 58A 140mass 140.12
Slow-motion stage
Cerium-140
proton
neutron
alpha particle (2p + 2n)
Parent nucleus · 140 nucleons
58 protons (coral) and 82 neutrons (blue) are packed together and held by the strong force.
A real decay takes about 10⁻²¹ s. At ⅓× this stage stretches it across eleven seconds.
Choose a reaction
Reaction
14058Ce13656Ba+42He
Two protons and two neutrons leave together as one helium nucleus.
Z
5856
-2
A
140136
-4
n⁰
8280
-2
Energy released
5.20MeVtypical value
Alpha particle5.051 MeV
Mass convertedE = Δm c²0.00558 u
In joules8.33 × 10-13 J
Compared with a bonda C–C bond is 3.6 eV≈ 1,444,444 ×
Measured alpha energies fall between 4 and 9 MeV.
The particle
- Charge
- +2
- Mass
- 4 u
- Speed
- About 5% of the speed of light
- Ionising power
- Very high
- Stopped by
- Stopped by a sheet of paper or dead skin