Final answer:
The balanced nuclear equation for the beta minus decay of Mercury-203 is 20380Hg → 20381Tl + 0−1β, where the 0−1β represents the electron that is emitted, ensuring that both mass and atomic numbers are balanced.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Mercury-203 undergoes beta minus decay, it transforms into Thallium-203. The balanced nuclear equation for this process is 20380Hg → 20381Tl + 0−1β, where the 0−1β represents the beta particle, which is an electron in this case. The particle notation for an electron in a nuclear equation is 0−1e because it has a mass number of 0 and an atomic number of −1, which reflects the particle's negative one (-1) charge needed to balance atomic numbers.
Confirming that the equation is correct involves ensuring that both the mass numbers (the superscript numbers) and the atomic numbers (the subscript numbers) on both sides add up correctly. In the equation of Mercury-203's decay, the mass numbers are 203 on both sides since the electron has no significant mass (mass number = 0), and the atomic number increases from 80 to 81 due to the neutron converting into a proton.