Final answer:
The second nucleus formed after the fission of an atom with 92 protons, if one of the resulting nuclei has 4 protons, must have 88 protons. None of the provided options (46, 44, 48, 50) are correct, with the closest incorrect option being 44 protons.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an atom with 92 protons undergoes fission, and one of the resulting nuclei has 4 protons, then the other nucleus must have the remaining number of protons to make up the original total. Given that the original atom had 92 protons, and one of the fission products has 4 protons, we subtract the 4 protons from the original 92 to find the number of protons in the other fission product:
92 protons (original) - 4 protons (one fission product) = 88 protons (other fission product)
Therefore, the second nucleus will have 88 protons, which is not one of the options provided. The closest option to this correct answer is b) 44 protons, which likely indicates a typographical error in the question options. In nuclear fission, the division of the atom's nucleus does not have to be equal, but the sum of the protons in the resulting elements must equal the total number of protons in the original nucleus.