Which change to an atom occurs during a nuclear fission reaction?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Both the atomic number and the mass number must change.
Both the atomic number and the mass number must change. - no response given

The atomic number cannot change, but the mass number must change.
The atomic number cannot change, but the mass number must change. - no response given

Neither the atomic number nor the mass number can change.
Neither the atomic number nor the mass number can change. - incorrect

The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot.
The atomic number must change, but the mass number cannot. - no response given
Incorrect

At least one of these quantities must change during nuclear fission.
Remaining Attempts : 1
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Answer 1

In a nuclear fission reaction, an atomic nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei, along with a few neutrons and a large amount of energy. This process results in a change in both the atomic number and the mass number of the resulting nuclei.

Thus, the correct answer is: At least one of these quantities must change during nuclear fission.

This is because the original nucleus (typically a heavy isotope like Uranium-235) has a specific atomic number (which defines the element) and mass number (which is the total count of protons and neutrons). After fission, the products will generally have different atomic numbers and mass numbers.