Question
Thorium-231 can undergo two types of nuclear decay. Choose the two types below
alpha and beta plus
beta minus and beta plus
alpha and beta minus
alpha and beta plus
beta minus and beta plus
alpha and beta minus
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Thorium-231 (\(^{231}\text{Th}\)) primarily undergoes two types of nuclear decay: alpha decay and beta minus decay.
1. **Alpha Decay**: Thorium-231 can emit an alpha particle (helium nucleus), resulting in the formation of Radium-227 (\(^{227}\text{Ra}\)).
2. **Beta Minus Decay**: Thorium-231 can also decay by beta minus decay, where a neutron is transformed into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino, leading to Protactinium-231 (\(^{231}\text{Pa}\)).
Therefore, the correct option is **alpha and beta minus**.
1. **Alpha Decay**: Thorium-231 can emit an alpha particle (helium nucleus), resulting in the formation of Radium-227 (\(^{227}\text{Ra}\)).
2. **Beta Minus Decay**: Thorium-231 can also decay by beta minus decay, where a neutron is transformed into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino, leading to Protactinium-231 (\(^{231}\text{Pa}\)).
Therefore, the correct option is **alpha and beta minus**.