Final answer:
In the nuclear reaction equation, the missing product, when combining Boron-105 with an alpha particle and yielding 10 neutrons, is Nitrogen-99. The complete equation is 105 B +42 He → 99 N + 10n.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about a nuclear reaction that begins with the nuclei 105 B (Boron-105) and 42 He (Helium-4, also known as an alpha particle).
To solve for the missing product in the reaction 105 B + 42 He → ______?__ + 10n (10 neutrons), we must balance the mass numbers and the atomic numbers on both sides of the equation.
Since the total mass number on the left side is 105 (Boron) + 4 (Helium) = 109 and 10 neutrons are produced, the mass number of the missing product is 109 - 10 = 99.
Similarly, the total atomic number on the left is 5 (Boron) + 2 (Helium) = 7, and since the neutrons do not contribute to the atomic number, the atomic number of the missing product is also 7, which corresponds to the element Nitrogen (N).
Therefore, the missing product in the equation is 99 N (Nitrogen-99), and the complete equation is 105 B +42 He → 99 N + 10n.