Name:
Date:
Period:
Independent Practice: Nuclear Reaction
1. Radium-226 decays directly to Radon-222.
a. Compose the balanced nuclear reaction for this decay
b. What particle is emitted during this decay?
2. Thorium-231 decays to form protactinium-231 via the following nuclear equation:
231
90𝑇ℎ
→
231
91𝑃𝑎
+𝑋
a. What is the decay product represented by X?
3. Uranium-234 decays to Lead-214 through a series of alpha decays. The first decay is from Uranium234 to Thorium-230.
a. Compose the balanced nuclear reaction for the first decay
b. How many alpha particles are emitted overall in the full decay series?
4. Lead-211 decays to Bismuth-211 via the following nuclear equation:
211
82𝑃𝑏
→
211
83𝐵𝑖
a. What is the decay product represented by X?
+𝑋
5. The equation below shows the radioactive decay of Plutonium (Pu):
241
94𝑃𝑢
241
95𝐴𝑚
→
+
Radiation
a. What particle is released in this reaction?
6. Write balanced equations for the following elements that are involved in alpha decay reactions.
a. 212
84𝑃𝑜
→
b. 237
93𝑁𝑝
→
c. 207
83𝐵𝑖
d.
→
_______________ →
214
84𝑃𝑜
+ ____________
7. Write balanced equations for the following elements that are involved in beta decay reactions.
a. 47
21𝑆𝑐
→
b. 144
59𝑃𝑟
c. 14
6𝐶
d.
→
→
_______________ →
65
30𝑍𝑛
+ ___________