Answer :
Final answer:
To balance the nuclear equation for the decay of zinc-69 to gallium-69, one must understand that zinc-69 decays by beta decay to become gallium-69, with the emission of an electron.
Explanation:
To write the balanced nuclear equation for the decay of zinc-69 to gallium-69, it's important to know that zinc-69 undergoes beta decay (ß-). During beta decay, a neutron in the zinc nucleus is converted into a proton, an electron (beta particle), and an antineutrino. The electron is ejected from the nucleus, and the antineutrino is of little consequence in most chemical equations. As a result, the atomic number of zinc (30) increases by one to become gallium (31), while the mass number remains unchanged (69). Therefore, the nuclear equation for the decay of zinc-69 to gallium-69 is:
69Zn30 → 69Ga31 + e-
