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Alpha decay please help (nuclear chemisty)

Alpha decay please help (nuclear chemisty)-example-1
User DDub
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Step-by-step explanation:

Given reaction:

¹⁰⁸₅₃I → ⁴₂He + ?

An alpha particle decay requires that the mass number decreases by 4 and atomic number decreases by 2.

This reaction is called nuclear fission;

The unknown compound, say Y, will have mass number and atomic number shown below;

¹⁰⁸₅₃I → ⁴₂He + ᵃₙY

Mass number; 108 = 4 + a

a = 104

Atomic number ;

53 = 2 + n

n = 51

Y will be ¹⁰⁴₅₁Y

The atomic number of the new element is 51; so, it is antimony.

¹⁰⁴₅₁Sb

User Jhedmendoza
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