What are the atomic number and the atomic mass of the

element formed when 84
218Po emits a beta particle? What
are they if the polonium emits an alpha particle?

84 218Po: 84 signifies the number of protons; 218 is the atomic mass (#protons + #neutrons)

When a beta particle is emitted, one neutron gets changed to a proton, so if 84 218 Po emits a beta particle, the number of protons will go up by one (atomic number = 85), and the atomic mass will stay the same.

When the polonium emits an alpha particle, it emits 2 protons and 2 neutrons: 82 is the atomic number, and 216 is the atomic mass

Actually, if an Alpha particle is emitted, and the atom loses two protons AND two neutrons, the mass would lower by four; while atomic number counts only protons, mass counts neutrons as well as protons. Therefor, while the number would be 82, the mass would fall to 214.

To determine the atomic number and atomic mass of the element formed when a given isotope undergoes radioactive decay, we need to understand how the decay process affects the nucleus of the atom.

1. When 84
218Po emits a beta particle, it undergoes beta decay. In this process, a neutron within the nucleus is converted into a proton, releasing a beta particle (electron) and an antineutrino.

The atomic number of an element corresponds to the number of protons in the nucleus. Since a neutron is converted into a proton during beta decay, the number of protons increases by one, resulting in a new element.

So the atomic number of the element after emitting a beta particle would be 84 + 1 = 85.

The atomic mass of an element corresponds to the sum of the protons and neutrons in its nucleus. The atomic mass of 218Po is 218.

Therefore, the atomic number of the element formed is 85, and the atomic mass remains 218.

2. When polonium (Po) emits an alpha particle, it undergoes alpha decay. In this process, the nucleus of an atom emits an alpha particle, which consists of two protons and two neutrons.

The atomic number of an element after emitting an alpha particle decreases by two because it loses two protons.

So the atomic number of the element after emitting an alpha particle would be 84 - 2 = 82.

The atomic mass of an element would also decrease by four because it loses two protons and two neutrons.

Therefore, the atomic number of the element formed is 82, and the atomic mass would be 218 - 4 = 214.

To find the atomic number and atomic mass of the element formed when 84 218Po emits a beta particle, you need to understand the process of beta decay.

When an atom undergoes beta decay, a neutron inside the nucleus is converted into a proton, and an electron (beta particle) is emitted. This changes the atomic number of the atom, while the atomic mass remains the same.

For the given isotope 84 218Po, the atomic number is already 84, which represents polonium (Po). When a beta particle is emitted, one neutron is converted into a proton, so the atomic number increases by 1, becoming 85. Therefore, the atomic number of the element formed is 85.

Since beta decay does not affect the atomic mass, it remains the same at 218. Thus, the atomic mass of the element formed when 84 218Po emits a beta particle is also 218.

Now, let's consider the scenario where polonium emits an alpha particle. An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons, which means an atom undergoing alpha decay loses an alpha particle from its nucleus, resulting in a decrease in both the atomic number and atomic mass.

Again, for polonium (Po) with an atomic number of 84 and an atomic mass of 218, when an alpha particle is emitted, the atomic number decreases by 2, becoming 82. Therefore, the atomic number of the element formed is 82.

Similarly, the atomic mass also decreases by 4 due to the loss of two protons and two neutrons in the alpha particle. Hence, the atomic mass of the element formed when polonium emits an alpha particle is 214.

To summarize:
- When 84 218Po emits a beta particle, the atomic number of the element formed is 85, and its atomic mass is 218.
- When polonium emits an alpha particle, the atomic number of the element formed is 82, and its atomic mass is 214.