When an atom undergoes alpha decay:

Name: When an atom undergoes alpha decay:
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During alpha decay, the nucleus emits an alpha particle (which is a helium nucleus with two protons and two neutrons). This means the atomic number, which represents the number of protons in the nucleus, decreases by 2 (since two protons are lost). The mass number, which represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, decreases by 4 (since four particles are lost: two protons and two neutrons).

When an Atom Undergoes Alpha Decay