Thorium  h produces a daughter nucleus that is radioactive. The daughter, in turn, produces its own radioactive daughter, and so on. This process continues until bismuth  is reached.

Concepts:

(i) How many of the 90 protons in the thorium nucleus are carried off by the α particles?

(ii) How many protons are left behind when the b2 particles are emitted?

(iii) How many of the 228 nucleons in the thorium nucleusare carried off by the α particles?

(iv) Does the departure of a β^– particle alter the number of nucleons? Calculations: What are the total number N_α of a particles and the total number N_β of β^– particles that are generated in this series of radioactive decays?

Transcribed Image Text:

Th 90