If a nucleus decays by alpha decay to a daughter nucleus,which of the following statements about this decay are correct? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) The daughter nucleus has more protons than the original nucleus.
B) The daughter nucleus has more neutrons than the original nucleus.
C) The daughter nucleus has the same number of nucleons as the original nucleus.
D) The daughter nucleus has fewer protons than the original nucleus.
E) The daughter nucleus has fewer neutrons than the original nucleus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In alpha decay, the nucleus emits an alpha particle, which consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Therefore, the daughter nucleus has 2 fewer protons and 2 fewer neutrons than the original nucleus.

If a Nucleus Decays by Alpha Decay to a Daughter