Radon-219 decays to radon-218 by releasing:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Radon-219 undergoes alpha decay, releasing an alpha particle (consisting of two protons and two neutrons) to become radon-218. This means that the atomic number of the new element decreases by 2. Since radon has an atomic number of 86, losing 2 protons makes its atomic number 84, which corresponds to the element polonium. However, the conservation of mass and energy requires that something else be emitted or created to balance the equation. In this case, a neutron (consisting of one proton and one electron) is emitted to conserve energy and momentum. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Radon-219 Decays to Radon-218 by Releasing