Question

Which change to an atom occurs during a nuclear fission reaction?(1 point)

Responses

Neither the atomic number nor the mass number can change.
Neither the atomic number nor the mass number can change.

The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot.
The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot.

Both the atomic number and the mass number must change.
Both the atomic number and the mass number must change.

The atomic number cannot change, but the mass number must change.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot.

Answer 2

[AI-generated answer — Step-by-Step Bot]

The correct response is: The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot.

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

During a nuclear fission reaction, both the atomic number and the mass number of an atom can change. When a heavy atomic nucleus, such as uranium or plutonium, undergoes fission, it splits into two or more smaller nuclei. This splitting results in the release of a large amount of energy and the formation of new nuclei with different atomic and mass numbers. The total sum of the atomic numbers and mass numbers before and after the fission reaction must remain conserved, but the individual atoms involved will have different atomic and mass numbers. Therefore, the correct response is "Both the atomic number and the mass number must change."