A neutron strikes an atom of uranium-235 to start a fission reaction. A student expresses this situation as 01n+235 92U

. Which statement describes why the expression is incorrect?(1 point)
Responses

The atomic number for uranium-235 is in the wrong location.
The atomic number for uranium-235 is in the wrong location.

The mass number for uranium-235 is in the wrong location.
The mass number for uranium-235 is in the wrong location.

A neutron should be expressed as 11H
, not 01n
.
A neutron should be expressed as 1 to the 1th power cap h, not 1 to the 0 power n.

A neutron should be expressed as 10n
, not 01n
.

1 answer

The correct response is: A neutron should be expressed as \( ^1_0n \), not \( ^1_0n \).

However, note that in standard notation, the neutron is typically represented as \( ^1_0n \) or simply \( n \) (without any mass or atomic number), and the atomic number \( 92 \) for uranium typically appears lower than the mass number \( 235 \) when displayed in nuclear notation.

Therefore, the entire expression should be clarified as follows: the neutron is typically not denoted with a mass and atomic number like other particles because it is understood simply as \( n \). The expression should be rewritten as:

\[ ^{1}{0}n + ^{235}{92}U \rightarrow \text{products} \]

So, the statement regarding the neutron format would be the most relevant correction, while the other statements focus primarily on the arrangement of the atomic number and mass number in the context of the fission reaction.