Compete the following nuclear equation:
235 4
92 u----> 2 He
235 4
92 U --> 2 He + 231
(The product is actually an unstable nucleus of the isotope Thorium-231, which will undergo further radioactive decay to become a stable isotope.)
To complete the nuclear equation 235U → 4He, we need to balance the equation by adding the appropriate numbers of protons, neutrons, and particles on both sides of the equation.
On the left side of the equation, we have 235U, which represents a uranium isotope with 92 protons and 143 neutrons. On the right side, we have 4He, which represents a helium particle with 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
Now, let's balance the equation:
235U → 4He
To balance the equation, we need to ensure that the total number of protons and neutrons is the same on both sides. On the left side, we have 92 protons and 143 neutrons, while on the right side, we have 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
To balance the protons, we can see that 4He has 2 protons. Therefore, we need to add 90 protons to the right side. This can be done by adding another element with 90 protons. This element is thorium (Th), which has an atomic number of 90.
235U → 4He + 90Th
Now, let's balance the neutrons. On the left side, we have 143 neutrons, while on the right side, we have 2 neutrons from 4He. To balance the neutrons, we need to add 141 neutrons to the right side. This can be done by adding another element with 141 neutrons. This element is protactinium (Pa), which has an atomic number of 91 and a neutron number of 141.
235U → 4He + 90Th + 141Pa
Therefore, the completed balanced nuclear equation is:
235U → 4He + 90Th + 141Pa