Hello Dr.Bob, could you please help me with this problem:
Which of the following nuclides are most likely to decay via beta decay?
a)200 78 Pt b)192 78 Pt c)188 78 Pt
d)196 78 Pt
According to this table it appears to me that 78Pt200 is subject to beta decay while 192 and 196 are stable and 188 is electron capture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_platinum
Of course! I'd be happy to help you with that.
Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay where a beta particle is emitted from the nucleus. Beta particles can be either negatively charged electrons (β-) or positively charged positrons (β+).
To determine which nuclides are most likely to decay via beta decay, we need to look at their neutron-to-proton ratio. Generally, nuclides with too many neutrons or too few neutrons compared to protons tend to undergo beta decay to achieve a more stable ratio.
Let's analyze the given nuclides:
a) 200 78 Pt
This nuclide has 78 protons and 122 neutrons. The neutron-to-proton ratio is approximately 1.56.
b) 192 78 Pt
This nuclide has 78 protons and 114 neutrons. The neutron-to-proton ratio is approximately 1.46.
c) 188 78 Pt
This nuclide has 78 protons and 110 neutrons. The neutron-to-proton ratio is approximately 1.41.
d) 196 78 Pt
This nuclide has 78 protons and 118 neutrons. The neutron-to-proton ratio is approximately 1.51.
By examining the neutron-to-proton ratios of these nuclides, we can see that option b) 192 78 Pt has the lowest ratio. This suggests that it has more protons compared to neutrons, making it more likely to undergo beta decay to achieve a more stable neutron-to-proton ratio.
Therefore, option b) 192 78 Pt is the most likely to decay via beta decay among the given nuclides.