In 2010, a team of scientists from Russia and the United States reported creation of the first atom of element 117, which is named tennessine, and whose symbol is Ts. The synthesis involved the collision of a target of ²⁴⁹₉₇Bk with accelerated ions of an isotope which we will denote Q. The product atom, which we will call Z, immediately releases neutrons and forms ²⁹⁴₁₁₇Ts: ²⁴⁹₉₇Bk + Q → Z → ²⁹⁴₁₁₇Ts + 3 ¹₀n (a) What are the identities of isotopes Q and Z? (c) Collision of ions of isotope Q with a target was also used to produce the first atoms of livermorium, Lv. The initial product of this collision was ²⁹⁶₁₁₆Lv. What was the target isotope with which Q collided in this experiment?

In 2010, a team of scientists from Russia and the United States reported creation of the first atom of element 117, which is named tennessine, and whose symbol is Ts. The synthesis involved the collision of a target of ²⁴⁹₉₇Bk with accelerated ions of an isotope which we will denote Q. The product atom, which we will call Z, immediately releases neutrons and forms ²⁹⁴₁₁₇Ts: ²⁴⁹₉₇Bk + Q → Z → ²⁹⁴₁₁₇Ts + 3 ¹₀n (b) Isotope Q is unusual in that it is very long-lived (its half-life is on the order of 1019 yr) in spite of having an unfavorable neutron-to-proton ratio (Figure 21.1). Can you propose a reason for its unusual stability?

Each of the following transmutations produces a radionuclide used in positron emission tomography (PET).

(a) In equations (i) and (ii), identify the species signified as 'X.'

(i) ¹⁴N(p,α)X

(ii) ¹⁸O(p,X)¹⁸F

(iii) ¹⁴N(d,n)¹⁵O

The nuclear masses of 7Be, 9Be, and 10Be are 7.0147, 9.0100, and 10.0113 amu, respectively. Which of these nuclei has the largest binding energy per nucleon?