How could an element emit alpha and beta particles and result in the same element?
The phenomenon you are referring to is known as radioactive decay. It occurs when the nucleus of an atom is unstable and undergoes spontaneous changes in order to become more stable. One type of radioactive decay is alpha decay, where an alpha particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons is emitted from the nucleus. Another type is beta decay, which involves the emission of a beta particle, either an electron (beta minus decay) or a positron (beta plus decay).
In the case of an element emitting both alpha and beta particles and still resulting in the same element, it means that the radioisotope undergoing decay is transmuting into another isotope of the same element. This happens because the emission of alpha or beta particles leads to a change in the number of protons and/or neutrons in the nucleus.
To understand how it's possible for the resulting element to be the same, you'll need to examine the nuclear reactions involved. In alpha decay, the radioactive isotope loses two protons and two neutrons from its nucleus. This results in the atomic number decreasing by 2 and the mass number decreasing by 4. On the other hand, in beta decay, either a neutron is converted into a proton (beta minus decay) or a proton is converted into a neutron (beta plus decay). This alters the atomic number while keeping the mass number constant.
So, when an element emits both alpha and beta particles, it means that during the decay process, the atomic number changes by a certain amount due to the emission of beta particles, while the alpha particles only impact the mass number. By combining both types of radioactive decay, it is possible for the element to transmute into a different isotope of the same element with a different atomic mass but the same atomic number.