Correctly identify X in the reaction below:
²¹⁰?₈₄ Po ? X + ⁴?₂ He
Click here to open the periodic table in new tab.

Question

Correctly identify X in the reaction below: ²¹⁰?₈₄ Po ? X + ⁴?₂ He Click here to open the periodic table in new tab.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The type of radioactive decay shown in the reaction above is alpha decay where a nucleus emits an alpha particle (a Helium nucleus). The alpha particle is composed of 2 neutrons and 2 protons. The numerator in front of the Po indicates the mass number of the isotope, which is the sum of the protons and neutrons of the atom. The denominator is the number of neutrons in the isotope. To obtain the identity of the missing isotope X, just subtract the mass number and number of protons from the original atom.
Since the number of protons is 82, the identity of the atom is lead (Pb) since Pb has an atomic number of 82.

Correctly Identify X in the Reaction Below