By emitting an alpha particle, an atom of uranium-235 decays into an atom of thorium. An alpha particle, which is the same as a helium nucleus, is represented by #"_2^4He#. How would you complete the equation for this reaction? #"_92^235U## -> "_?^?He#

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 1, 2017

#""_92^235U rarr ""_2^4He + ""_90^231Th#

Explanation:

I can't say that mass and charge are conserved here, because this is a nuclear reaction not a chemical one. I don't know how energy is transferred here; nor do I know the half-life of #""_92^235U#. You might get a better answer in the Physics section.......

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