Sodium-24, a beta-emitter used in diagnosing circulation problems, has a half-life of 15 hours.Write the balanced nuclear equation for this emission.
11Na24 ==> -1eo + 10Ne24
numbers on left = charge
numbers on right = mass number.
11Na24 ==> -1eo + 12Mg24
The balanced nuclear equation for the emission of beta particles (β-) from Sodium-24 (Na-24) can be written as follows:
^24Na -> ^24Mg + e^-
In this equation, Sodium-24 undergoes beta decay, resulting in the formation of Magnesium-24 (Mg-24) and the emission of a beta particle (e-).
To write the balanced nuclear equation for the emission of Sodium-24 (Na-24), we need to understand that beta decay involves the conversion of a neutron into a proton or a proton into a neutron, while emitting a beta particle (an electron) and an antineutrino.
The atomic number of sodium is 11, which means it has 11 protons. Sodium-24 has 24 nucleons (protons and neutrons). Therefore, it must have 24 - 11 = 13 neutrons.
The balanced nuclear equation for the beta decay of Sodium-24 can be written as follows:
Na-24 -> Mg-24 + e- + ν
In this equation:
- Na-24 represents the sodium-24 atom.
- Mg-24 represents the magnesium-24 atom, which is formed when the neutron inside the sodium-24 nucleus undergoes beta decay and gets converted into a proton.
- e- represents the beta particle (an electron) that is emitted during the process.
- ν represents the antineutrino, which is also emitted during the process.
Note: The atomic number of magnesium is 12, which means it has 12 protons. So, if the neutron inside the sodium-24 nucleus converts into a proton during beta decay, the resulting nucleus will be magnesium-24.
Remember, to write the nuclear equation, it is essential to know the atomic numbers and the isotopes involved in the process.