College

Choose the complete beta (β) minus decay reaction of [tex]Bi-210[/tex].

A. Bismuth-210 ([tex]Bi-210[/tex]) and an electron ([tex]e^{-}[/tex])

B. Polonium-210 ([tex]Po-211[/tex]) and an electron ([tex]e^{-}[/tex])

C. Polonium-210 ([tex]Po-210[/tex]) and an electron ([tex]e^{-}[/tex])

D. Bismuth-211 ([tex]Bi-211[/tex]) and an electron ([tex]e^{-}[/tex])

Answer :

Sure! Let's go through the process of understanding the beta decay of Bismuth-210 (Bi-210).

1. Understanding Beta Minus Decay:
- In beta minus decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom is converted into a proton.
- This process results in an increase of one in the atomic number of the element, while the mass number remains unchanged.
- An electron (also known as a beta particle) and an antineutrino are emitted from the nucleus.

2. Applying Beta Decay to Bismuth-210 (Bi-210):
- Bismuth-210 has an atomic number of 83.
- After beta decay, the atomic number increases by one, changing it to 84.

3. Identifying the New Element:
- The element with atomic number 84 is Polonium (Po).

4. Determining the Mass Number:
- In beta decay, the mass number remains the same. Therefore, the mass number will still be 210.

5. Writing the Reaction:
- The beta decay of Bi-210 results in Polonium-210 (Po-210) plus an emitted beta particle (electron).

Thus, the complete beta minus decay reaction for Bismuth-210 is:
Polonium-210 (Po-210), and an electron (e⁻).

So, the correct answer is (C) Polonium-210 (Po-210), and an electron (e⁻).