What is the product element (isotope) produced when protactinium undergoes alpha decay?
1 Answer
May 22, 2017
Protactinium (Pr) is element number 91. It has 91 protons and 75 neutrons. Alpha decay reduces the atomic number by 2 and the atomic number (also, and better, called 'nucleon number') by 4 (2 protons and 2 neutrons). The product element is element number 89, actinium (Ac), with 162 nucleons, so Ac-162.