Final answer:
Option B) ²⁵Mg + ⁴He → ²⁷Al + ¹H represents a balanced nuclear equation as both the mass numbers and atomic numbers are conserved, summing to 29 for mass and 14 for atomic numbers on both sides.
Step-by-step explanation:
When balancing nuclear equations, it is essential to ensure that both the mass numbers (total of protons and neutrons) and the atomic numbers (number of protons) are conserved on both the reactant and product sides of the equation. A balanced nuclear reaction will have the sum of mass numbers and the sum of atomic numbers equal on both sides of the reaction equation.
Examining the options provided, option B) ²⁵Mg + ⁴He → ²⁷Al + ¹H is a balanced nuclear equation. Magnesium-25 (²⁵Mg) reacts with an alpha particle (⁴He, which is a helium nucleus consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons), to produce Aluminium-27 (²⁷Al) and a single proton (¹H). In this nuclear reaction, the sum of mass numbers before and after the reaction is 29 (25+4), and the sum of the atomic numbers is also conserved, with 12 (from Mg) plus 2 (from He) equaling 13 (from Al) plus 1 (from H).