The only stable isotope of fluorine is . What type of radioactivity would you expect from the isotope , which has one fewer neutron?

Question

The only stable isotope of fluorine is  . What type of radioactivity would you expect from the isotope  , which has one fewer neutron?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The isotope 11ea7995_6683_24d0_911b_0f2b5e29e4c8_TB3244_11 has one fewer neutron than the stable isotope. Therefore, it will most likely undergo beta-minus decay, where a neutron is converted into a proton and an electron is emitted. This will result in one more proton in the nucleus, changing the element from fluorine to neon.

Looking at the answer choices, options A, B, and C all involve alpha particle emission or positron emission, which are not as likely to occur for this isotope. Option E involves beta-plus decay, which would result in a proton being converted into a neutron and changing the element to oxygen, which is also less likely. Therefore, option D, which involves beta-minus decay and results in the element neon, is the best choice.

The Only Stable Isotope of Fluorine Is