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What is the product of alpha emission from the radioactive isotope radium-224 (Ra-224)?

(A) Actinium-228 (Ac-228)
(B) Radon-222 (Rn-222)
(C) Polonium-220 (Po-220)
(D) Bismuth-212 (Bi-212)

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The product of alpha emission from radium-224 (Ra-224) is radon-222 (Rn-222), which occurs due to the loss of an alpha particle resulting in a decrease of 4 in mass number and 2 in atomic number.

Step-by-step explanation:

The product of alpha emission from the radioactive isotope radium-224 (Ra-224) is radon-222 (Rn-222). Alpha emission involves the release of an alpha particle, which is a helium nucleus consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Due to this emission, the original atom loses 4 in mass number and 2 in atomic number. For radium-224, which has an atomic number of 88, alpha emission will decrease the atomic number to 86, making the daughter element radon-222. This is because alpha decay leads to a reduction by 4 in mass number (from 224 to 220) and by 2 in atomic number (from 88 to 86), leading us to the correct answer of (B) Radon-222 (Rn-222).

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