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.......

Related questions
See all questions in Nuclear Equations
Impact of this question
17486 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License