Here are the answers to your questions based on nuclear reactions and decay processes:
Question 1: Which is the same before and after the change?
- Answer: the total number of protons
Question 2: Why does the emission of an alpha particle always result in transmutation?
- Answer: The number of protons in the atom changes.
Question 3: Which phrase describes radioactive decay?
- Answer: the spontaneous emission of radiation
Question 4: Which option would be an appropriate model of nuclear fusion?
- Answer: mashing two marshmallows together
Question 5: Which aspect must be taken into consideration when creating a model of radioactive decay?
- Answer: There must be a way for unstable nuclei to become stable nuclei.
Question 6: How is fusion different from a simple chemical reaction?
- Answer: The nuclei combine in a fusion reaction.
Question 7: Which statement best describes the charged particles in the fusion reaction?
- Answer: The nucleus with the greatest positive charge is on the left side of the reaction.
Question 8: When looking at equations, how can you identify a reaction that is a fission reaction?
- Answer: A nucleus with a large mass will be on the left side, and there will be neutrons in the equation.
Question 9: How is fission different from a simple chemical reaction?
- Answer: Fission can happen with radioactive forms of atoms.
Question 10: Which statement best describes the charges of the particles involved?
- Answer: A negative particle is striking a positive particle, breaking it into more negative and positive particles.
Question 11: Which statement best describes the process of alpha decay?
- Answer: An unstable nucleus releases a particle containing two protons and two neutrons.
Question 12: In which type of radioactive decay does the nucleus become more stable without changing its identity?
- Answer: gamma decay
Question 13: An alpha particle is equivalent to the nucleus of an atom of which element?
- Answer: helium
Question 14: Which statement best describes alpha decay?
- Answer: After the ejection of an alpha particle, the remaining nucleus has a mass number that is four less and an atomic number that is two less, so alpha decay is not a type of nuclear fission.
Question 15: Which option correctly compares beta decay and gamma decay?
- Answer: Beta decay releases a particle, while gamma decay only reduces the energy level. Neither beta decay nor gamma decay is a form of nuclear fission.
Feel free to ask if you need further clarification on any of these topics!