Answer:
n (a neutron)
Step-by-step explanation:
For a chemical element:
- The lower subscript indicates the atomic number (the number of protons)
- The upper subscript indicates the mass number (the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus)
In the reaction described in the problem, we see that a gamma photon hits a nucleus of Calcium-40, which has
Z = 20 (20 protons)
A = 40 (40 protons+neutrons)
Which means that the number of neutrons is n = A - Z = 40 - 20 = 20
After the reaction, we have a nucleus of Calcium-39, which has
Z = 20 (20 protons)
A = 39 (39 protons+neutrons)
Which means that the number of neutrons is n = A - Z = 40 - 39 = 19
So, the nucleus has lost 1 neutron, which is the particle missing in the reaction.