Question

1.A radioactive nucleus alpha decays to yield a sodium-24 nucleus in 14.8 hours. What was the identity of the original nucleus? Show the nuclear equation that leads you to this answer.

Answer 1

\[\alpha _{2}^{4}\]

that's your alpha particle; the top number = mass number number of neutrons + protons.

bottom number atomic number number of protons.

\[Na _{11}^{24}\] this is what resulted. to find the answer you need to work backwards.

best way to do this would be to add the alpha particle to the element that you produced in this case sodium. to see what you would get.