Question
when polonium-210 undergoes alpha decay, lead-206 is produced.
What is the same and different between the two elements?
What is the same and different between the two elements?
Answers
Damon
It changed name so it changed the number of protons
Polonium Po has 84 protons (atomic number 84)
Lead Pb has 82 protons (atomic number 82)
so the Po lost 2 protons
the total atomic mass changed by 4 so the Po also lost 2 neutrons
note that a Helium nucleus has two protons and two neutrons. That is what got ejected as an alpha particle.
They are on the same heavy metal row but Po is 2 columns to the right in your periodic table
Polonium Po has 84 protons (atomic number 84)
Lead Pb has 82 protons (atomic number 82)
so the Po lost 2 protons
the total atomic mass changed by 4 so the Po also lost 2 neutrons
note that a Helium nucleus has two protons and two neutrons. That is what got ejected as an alpha particle.
They are on the same heavy metal row but Po is 2 columns to the right in your periodic table