Complete and balance the following nuclear equations. (d) <ISOTOPE CHEM REACTION>
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Identify the missing particle or isotope in the nuclear reaction. This is typically represented by a blank or a question mark in the equation.
Determine the type of nuclear reaction occurring (e.g., alpha decay, beta decay, positron emission, electron capture, etc.) based on the other particles and isotopes involved in the reaction.
Use the conservation of mass and atomic numbers to find the missing isotope. The sum of the mass numbers (top numbers) and the sum of the atomic numbers (bottom numbers) on both sides of the equation must be equal.
Write the symbol of the missing isotope using the element's symbol from the periodic table, and include the correct mass number and atomic number that balance the equation.
Double-check the balanced equation to ensure both mass and atomic numbers are conserved on both sides of the equation.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nuclear Reactions
Nuclear reactions involve changes in an atom's nucleus and can result in the transformation of one element into another. These reactions include processes such as alpha decay, beta decay, and nuclear fission or fusion. Understanding the type of nuclear reaction is crucial for predicting the products and balancing the equations.
Balancing nuclear equations requires ensuring that both the mass number and atomic number are conserved during the reaction. This means that the sum of the mass numbers and the sum of the atomic numbers on the reactant side must equal those on the product side. This principle is essential for accurately representing the transformation of isotopes.
Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different mass numbers. Understanding isotopes is important in nuclear chemistry as they can undergo different types of decay and reactions, influencing the products formed in nuclear equations.
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