Topic: Practice Writing Nuclear Decay Reactions
It is common for a parent isotope to produce a daughter that is still radioactive. That daughter then decays, and it produces the granddaughter. If the granddaughter is radioactive, then it also decays, etc. This produces what are called "decay chains" that show how elements are produced by the decay of others. It is like tracking the family tree of a radioactive isotope. A decay chain ends when a stable isotope is finally born.
Write full nuclear symbols in the form $^A_ZX$. For alpha and beta write the full symbol under "ejected particle." Consult the Periodic Table to identify the daughter. If a reaction produces neutrinos, add them at the end, under "other ejections." A reaction begins with the daughter of the previous one.
The Decay Chain of Thorium-228
Decay type:
Full symbol of ejected particle:
The daughter:
Other ejections:
(1)
$^{228}_{90}Th$
$\alpha \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (1)
(2)
$\alpha \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (2)
(3)
$\alpha \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (3)
(4)
$\alpha \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (4)
(5)
$\beta^- \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (5)
(6)
$\alpha \rightarrow$
+
Daughter (6)
STABLE
(7)
$\beta^- \rightarrow$
+
End of Chain