Question

Explain why Uraniun-238 emits alpha particles.

Answer 1

Alpha decay, or α-decay, is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle and thereby transforms (or 'decays') into an atom with a mass number 4 less and atomic number 2 less. For example, uranium-238 decaying through α-particle emission to form thorium-234 can be expressed as:[1]