Name _____________________________________________ Date ___________________ Period _______
Nuclear Reactions
What is the product of the following nuclear decay processes? Write an equation for each process.
1. Beryllium-9 is bombarded with an electron and releases an alpha particle.
2. Uranium-238 absorbs 2 beta particles and releases gamma radiation and an alpha particle.
3. Hydrogen-2 absorbs an alpha particle and releases a beta particle.
Calculate the following half-life questions.
4. Phosphorus-32 has a half-life of 14.3 days. How many days will it take for a radioactive sample to decay to 1/8 its
size?
5. What percent of a sample of Co-60 (half-life = 5 years) will decay after 25 years?
6. K-42 has a half-life of 12.0 hours. At present, a given ore sample contains 34.2 mg of K-42. How much did it
contain yesterday at this same time?
Write an equation for each step in the following nuclear decay series.
7. Fluorine-19 absorbs an alpha particle to produce a gamma ray. This radioactive product also undergoes decay by
beta emission. Write an equation for each step in this decay process.
Step 1: __________________________________________________
Step 2: __________________________________________________
8. When an atom of beryllium-9 reacts with an alpha particle emitted by a plutonium-239 atom, an electron is
ejected. Write an equation for each step in this decay process.
Step 1: __________________________________________________
Step 2: __________________________________________________
9. A radioactive decay series begins with 23592U and ends with 20782Pb. The first 3 steps of this series are (in order)
α, β and α emission. Write an equation for each of these steps.
Step 1: __________________________________________________
Step 2: __________________________________________________
Step 3: __________________________________________________
10. The natural occurring radioisotope Thorium-232 decays through a series of steps. Determine the nuclide that is
the final product if the steps consist of the emission of six alpha particles and four beta particles. Write an
equation for each step if the order of emission is: α, β, β, α, α, α, α, β, β, α
Step 1: __________________________________________________
Step 2: __________________________________________________
Step 3: __________________________________________________
Step 4: __________________________________________________
Step 5: __________________________________________________
Step 6: __________________________________________________
Step 7: __________________________________________________
Step 8: __________________________________________________
Step 9: __________________________________________________
Step 10: __________________________________________________
Final product is _________________