Question

When the nuclide uranium-234 undergoes alpha decay: the name of the product nuclide is . the symbol for the product nuclide is?

Answer 1

Answer: a) Thorium

b) $_{90}^{230}\textrm{Tl}$

Explanation:

Alpha decay : When a larger nuclei decays into smaller nuclei by releasing alpha particle. In this process, the mass number and atomic number is reduced by 4 and 2 units respectively.

General representation of an element is given as:   $_Z^A\textrm{X}$

where,

Z represents Atomic number

A represents Mass number

X represents the symbol of an element

General representation of alpha decay :

$_Z^A\textrm{X}\rightarrow _{Z-2}^{A-4}Y+_2^4\alpha$

$_{92}^{234}\textrm{U}\rightarrow _{90}^{230}\textrm{Tl}+_2^4\textrm{He}$

Hence the name of the product nuclide is Thorium and the symbol for the product nuclide is $_{90}^{230}\textrm{Tl}$

Answer 2

Answer is: name of the product nuclide is thorium-230.

Alpha particle is nucleus of a helium-4 atom, which is made of two protons and two neutrons.
²³⁴U → ²³⁰Th + α (alpha particle).

Alpha decay is radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and transforms into an atom with an atomic number that is reduced by two and mass number that is reduced by four.