The nuclear equation for the decay of polonium-210 involves the emission of an alpha particle, resulting in the formation of a daughter nucleus. The equation can be represented as ²¹⁰Po -> ⁴He + X, where ²¹⁰Po represents polonium-210, ⁴He represents the alpha particle, and X represents the daughter nucleus.
The nuclear equation for the decay of polonium-210 can be represented as follows:
²¹⁰Po -> ⁴He + X
In this equation, the symbol ²¹⁰Po represents polonium-210, which is the parent nucleus undergoing decay. The arrow signifies the decay process, and the symbol ⁴He represents the alpha particle that is emitted during the decay. The X symbolizes the remaining daughter nucleus, which is not explicitly mentioned in the equation.
During the decay of polonium-210, the parent nucleus undergoes alpha decay. Alpha decay involves the emission of an alpha particle, which consists of two protons and two neutrons (equivalent to a helium nucleus). As a result of the alpha particle emission, the parent nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons, leading to the formation of the daughter nucleus.
It's important to note that the mass number and atomic number must be conserved in a nuclear equation. In this case, the mass number of polonium-210 is 210 (the sum of protons and neutrons), and the mass number of the alpha particle is 4. Therefore, the mass number of the daughter nucleus (X) can be calculated by subtracting the mass number of the alpha particle from the mass number of the parent nucleus: 210 - 4 = 206.