Question

Help please!!
I have no clue how to answer these. Chemistry and physics is really confusing....

1) What happens in the nucleus of an atom when an alpha particle is emitted?

2) What happens in the nucleus of an atom when a beta particle is emitted?


3) The helium used to fill birthday balloons doesn’t come out of the air, but from out of the ground. Some of the gas might escape from the ground into the atmosphere, but the majority of it is trapped in Earth’s crust. Based on what you have learned in today’s lab, give a reasonable explanation for the presence of helium gas in Earth’s crust.

4) Why should it take significantly more energy to move a beam of alpha particles than a beam of beta minus (β–) particles?

5) What daughter product is produced when thallium–206, an isotope of thallium, undergoes beta minus (β–) decay?

Answer 1

@sweetburger @zepdrix @tkhunny

Answer 2

Radiation is the emission of subatomic particles/energy from the nucleus.

1.) The emission of alpha particles is called alpha decay. Alpha decay occurs when the nucleus is unstable and has too many protons. The nucleus emits an alpha particle and energy. An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons (helium nucleus)

2.) ... as you guessed, the emission of beta particles from the nucleus is called beta decay. Beta decay occurs in a nucleus that has too many protons or neutrons. In beta decay, one of the protons or neutrons is transformed into the other in the nucleus.

Answer 3

@sunnystrong
Thank you so so much. That really helped explain it in a way I actually understand. Other websites make it so complicated haha.

Answer 4

@sunnnystrong ^
Forgot the extra 'n'...

Answer 5

Now I just need help with the last two.