Question

Which particle must be emitted during the radioactive reaction described below? 210Bi83 decays directly into 210Po84

(A) Alpha particle
(B) Beta particle
(C) Gamma ray
(D) Neutron

Answer 1

During the decay of Bismuth-210 to Polonium-210, a beta particle is emitted, which increases the atomic number by one without changing the mass number, resulting in beta decay.

Step-by-step explanation:

The particle that must be emitted during the radioactive decay of Bismuth-210 (210Bi83) to Polonium-210 (210Po84) is a beta particle. When Bismuth-210 decays to Polonium-210, a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton and an electrode. The atomic number increases by one while the mass number remains constant. This process is known as beta decay, and it is represented by the emission of a beta particle, which can also be denoted as e- or β-. Because the number of protons increases from 83 to 84, but the mass number stays at 210, we can conclude that a beta particle is emitted, resulting in the element moving from bismuth to polonium on the periodic table.