Rankers Physics

Nucleus: Practice Problem & Solution

A radioactive nucleus $^{A}_{Z}X$ undergoes spontaneous decay in the sequencen$^{A}_{Z}X \rightarrow _{Z-1}B \rightarrow _{Z-3}C \rightarrow _{Z-2}D$, where Z is the atomic number of element X. The possible decay particles in the sequence are: (2021)
$\alpha, \beta^+, \beta^-$
$\beta^+, \alpha, \beta^-$
$\beta^-, \alpha, \beta^+$
$\alpha, \beta^-, \beta^+$

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Nucleus. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

Step 1: $Z \rightarrow Z-1$ indicates $\beta^+$ decay. Step 2: $Z-1 \rightarrow Z-3$ indicates a decrease of 2, which is $\alpha$ decay. Step 3: $Z-3 \rightarrow Z-2$ indicates an increase of 1, which is $\beta^-$ decay. The sequence is $\beta^+, \alpha, \beta^-$.

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