Question

What is the daughter nucleus that would result from the alpha decay of each of the following nuclei? Note how the parent nucleus is written down and use that format to enter your answer; pay note to capitalization. Americium-241 Thorium-223 Radium-223 Uranium-234 Curium-242 Neptunium-237

Answer 1

After alfa decay there is decrease of 2 unit in atomic number and 4 unit in the atomic mass and daughter nucleus belongs to element which is situated at two place behind (left) in periodic table. Hence,

Americium-24:   ₉₅Am²⁴¹ -----------> ₉₃Np²³⁷ + ₂⁴

Thorium-223: ₉₀Th²²³ ------------> ₈₈Ra²¹⁹    + ₂⁴

Radium-223: ₈₈Ra²²³ ------------> ₈₆Rn²¹⁹ + ₂⁴

Uranium-234: ₉₂U²³⁴ ------------> ₉₀Th²³⁰     + ₂⁴

Curium-242: ₅₈Ce²⁴² ------------> ₅₆Ba²³⁸ + ₂⁴

Neptunium-237: ₉₃Np²³⁷ -------------> ₉₁Pa²³³ + ₂⁴