Question

What is the identity of an alpha particle?

Answer 1

Answer: It is a helium nuclei.

Explanation: Alpha particles are produced when a larger nuclei decays into smaller nuclei in radioactive decay. Alpha particles have mass number and atomic number as 4 and 2 respectively.

General representation of alpha decay :

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

Answer 2

Alpha particles are identical to helium nucleus. So alpha particles and helium nucleus are infact the same.
its Atomic Mass = 4
its Atomic number = 2
So it has two electrons , two neutrons.
It generally occurs in the decaying of a substance.