Question

1. an atom of radon gas emits an alpha particle as shown below. radon - 222 has 86 protons and 136 neutrons. what daughter product will form from this decay?

o francium - 222 (87 protons)
o polonium - 218 (84 protons)
o radium - 226 (88 protons)
o lead - 220 (82 protons)

Explanation:

Step1: Recall alpha - decay properties

An alpha particle has 2 protons and 4 nucleons (2 protons + 2 neutrons). When radon - 222 undergoes alpha decay, the atomic number (number of protons) decreases by 2 and the mass number (sum of protons and neutrons) decreases by 4.

Step2: Calculate the new atomic number

The atomic number of radon - 222 is 86. After alpha decay, the new atomic number is \(86 - 2=84\).

Step3: Calculate the new mass number

The mass number of radon - 222 is \(86 + 136=222\). After alpha decay, the new mass number is \(222-4 = 218\).

Step4: Identify the element

The element with atomic number 84 is polonium. So the daughter product is polonium - 218.

Answer:

Polonium - 218 (84 protons)