Answer :
Final answer:
The product of Francium-221 after alpha decay is Astatine-217. During alpha decay, an alpha particle is emitted, reducing the mass number by 4 and the atomic number by 2. This results in an isotope of Astatine with the values 217 (mass) and 85 (atomic number).
Explanation:
Understanding Alpha Decay of Francium-221
When considering the alpha decay of an atom of Francium-221 (221Fr), it's important to recognize what happens during this type of nuclear decay. An alpha particle, which consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons (essentially a helium nucleus, 4He), is emitted. This process causes the atomic number of the original atom to decrease by 2 and the mass number to decrease by 4.
Thus, we perform the following calculations:
- Starting from the original Francium-221, we subtract 4 from the mass number (221 - 4 = 217).
- For the atomic number, we subtract 2 (87 - 2 = 85).
The resulting isotope from this decay has a mass number of 217 and an atomic number of 85, which corresponds to the element Astatine (represented as 217At).
Therefore, the product of an atom of Francium-221 after alpha decay is the isotope Astatine-217.
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