Asked by Julie

two protons and two neutrons are released as a result of this reaction.

Superscript 222 subscript 86.Rn Right arrow superscript 218 subscript 84.Po + ?

Which particle is released?
one alpha particle
two beta particles

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
One alpha particle.

Reason: Mass number drops from 222 to 218 (ΔA = 4) and atomic number drops from 86 to 84 (ΔZ = 2). An alpha particle is ^4_2He (2 protons + 2 neutrons), so

^222_86Rn → ^218_84Po + ^4_2He.

Two beta particles would change Z but not A, so they cannot account for the A = 4 loss.