Use the equation to complete the activity.
219 86RN → 215 84Po + a
The nuclear equation shows the transmutation of a form of radon into polonium and an alpha particle. In one to two sentences, explain whether or not the reaction is balanced.
answer???
To determine if the nuclear equation is balanced, we need to ensure that both sides of the equation have the same total number of protons and neutrons. We can calculate this by comparing the atomic numbers and mass numbers of the elements involved. Here's how to check if the reaction is balanced:
1. Identify the elements involved: In the given equation, we have radon (RN) and polonium (Po), along with an alpha particle (a).
2. Determine the atomic numbers: The atomic number of radon (RN) is 86, while the atomic number of polonium (Po) is 84.
3. Calculate the mass numbers: The given equation doesn't provide the mass numbers explicitly, so we need to balance them separately. Since alpha particles have a mass number of 4 and atomic number of 2, we can deduce that the mass number of radon (RN) would be 219 (from 215 + 4) and the mass number of polonium (Po) would be 215.
4. Check the balance: Now, we compare the atomic numbers and mass numbers on both sides of the equation. In this case, we have 86 protons (RN) and 84 protons (Po) on both sides, which means the atomic numbers are balanced. Additionally, we have 219 nucleons (RN + a) on the left side and 215 nucleons (Po) on the right side, which indicates the mass numbers are also balanced.
Conclusion: Based on the balanced atomic numbers and mass numbers, we can verify that the given nuclear equation is indeed balanced.