Radioactive cobalt-60 is used in radiation therapy treatment. Cobalt-60 undergoes beta decay. This type of nuclear reaction is c

Question

Alenkasestr [34]

3 years ago

7

Radioactive cobalt-60 is used in radiation therapy treatment. Cobalt-60 undergoes beta decay. This type of nuclear reaction is c

alled
(1) natural transmutation
(2) artificial transmutation
(3) nuclear fusion
(4) nuclear fission

Chemistry

1 answer:

dsp73 · Answer 1 · 2022-03-23T03:55:23+03:00

The answer is (1) natural transmutation. When Co-60 undergoes beta decay (be it beta positive or beta negative), the product is another element (Fe or Ni). Transmutation is when an element turns into another element via a nuclear process. Since this occurs without the aid of another agent that causes the nuclear change (e.g. a neutron source), it is natural transmutation.