Question

Identify the mode of decay and state whether following equation is CORRECT or NOT. Justify.

  \(^{238}_{92}U\) \(\longrightarrow\) \(^{234}_{90}Th\) + \(^{4}_{2}He\)

Answer 1

i. It involves α-decay process. 

ii. As uranium undergoes decay by emission of an α-particle (i.e., \(^{4}_{2}He\)), daughter nuclei (in this case thorium) ‘will observe the decrease in atomic number by 2 units and decrease in atomic mass number by 4 units. 

Hence, the given equation is correct.