Look at the table of radioactive isotypes below.
Isotype Type of Decay
Uranium-238 Alpha
Nickel-63 Beta
Iodine-131 Beta
Radium-226 Alpha
With the help of a periodic table, predict the element that forms in each case.
I'm confused by this. Am I suppose to research each of the isotypes and find out what element they have or compare it to the elements that are in the periodic table?
U238 for example has 92 protons and therefore 146 neutrons
It loses an alpha particle which is a helium nucleus, 2 protons and 2 neutrons
so
NOW we have an element with
92 - 2 = 90 protons
238 - 4 = 234 atomic mass ignoring E = mc^2
What has 90 protons?
Th Thorium 232 is usual isotope but we have Th234 at present
Note from wikioedia:
Uranium-238 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium-238
Wikipedia
Jump to Radioactivity and decay - [edit]. 238U radiates alpha-particles and decays
**** (by way of thorium-234 ****** and protactinium-234) into uranium-234. 234U ...
To predict the element that forms from each isotope, you can use the information provided and compare it to the periodic table. You don't necessarily need to research each isotope specifically.
Let's go through each isotope mentioned and determine the element that forms from its radioactive decay:
1. Uranium-238: It undergoes alpha decay. Alpha decay particles consist of two protons and two neutrons, which is essentially a helium nucleus. By subtracting these particles from the original isotope, we can determine the resulting element. Uranium-238 minus an alpha particle gives us Thorium-234. Therefore, the element formed from uranium-238 is Thorium.
2. Nickel-63: Nickel-63 undergoes beta decay. In beta decay, a neutron inside the nucleus converts into a proton and emits an electron (beta particle). So, in this case, a neutron in Nickel-63 changes into a proton. The element directly above Nickel on the periodic table is Cobalt. Hence, the element that forms from Nickel-63 is Cobalt.
3. Iodine-131: Similarly, Iodine-131 also undergoes beta decay. By following the same process as before, a neutron in the nucleus of Iodine-131 changes into a proton, resulting in the formation of another element. Iodine is located near the middle of the periodic table. By moving one position to the left (one less proton), we reach the element called Te