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A. By referring to forces at work in the atomic nucleus, how can you

explain the radioactivity of technetium?
/2 marks

User IqqmuT
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1 Answer

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There is an unstable ratio of protons and neutrons. Because protons are positively charged but neutrons have no charge, an increase in the number of protons means there needs to be an increase in the number of neutrons to "bind" the nucleus together. This is because like charges repel, so the protons will repel each other, and if there aren't enough neutrons to act as "glue" to hold the nucleus together, the nucleus will break apart.

User SKJ
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