225/88 RA → 0/-1 e + blank/89 Ac
The missing box would be the number ____ ? And this is a form of ____ decay?
The missing box would be the number 0.
And this is a form of alpha decay.
To determine the missing number in the expression:
225/88 RA → 0/-1 e + ____ / 89 Ac
We can start by balancing the equation.
225/88 RA has an atomic number (Z) of 88.
In the radioactive decay process, an alpha particle (0/-2 He) is emitted.
After the release of the alpha particle, the resulting nucleus will have an atomic number (Z) decreased by 2 and a mass number (A) decreased by 4.
So, the atomic number of the remaining nucleus will be 88 - 2 = 86, and the mass number will be 225 - 4 = 221.
Therefore, the missing box can be filled with the number 221, resulting in the following:
225/88 RA → 0/-2 He + 221/89 Ac
This decay process is a form of alpha decay.
To determine the missing value and identify the type of radioactive decay, we need to understand the given nuclear equation.
The nuclear equation provided is:
225/88 RA → 0/-1 e + blank/89 Ac
In this equation:
- 225 is the mass number of the original parent isotope (RA).
- 88 is the atomic number (or proton number) of the parent isotope.
- RA decays into a particle that has 0 mass (0) with a charge of -1 (-1 e).
- The daughter isotope has an atomic number of 89 (89 Ac).
To find the missing value, we need to determine the mass number of the daughter isotope (blank/89 Ac).
Here's how we calculate it:
- The mass number is conserved in nuclear reactions, meaning it remains the same on both sides of the equation.
- The mass number of the parent isotope (225) must be equal to the sum of the mass numbers of the decay products.
- The daughter isotope (blank/89 Ac) has an atomic number of 89, which means it has 89 protons.
To calculate the missing value, we subtract the atomic number (proton number) from the mass number:
Mass number = Atomic number + Number of neutrons
225 (mass number of parent) = 88 (protons of parent) + Number of neutrons
Thus,
Number of neutrons = 225 - 88 = 137
Therefore, the missing box would contain the number 137. The complete nuclear equation is:
225/88 RA → 0/-1 e + 137/89 Ac
This type of decay is called alpha decay. The parent isotope (RA) decays by emitting an alpha particle, which consists of two protons and two neutrons. The resulting daughter isotope is Ac-89.