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How does an atom with too many neutrons relative to protons undergo radioactive decay?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
In general, a nucleus with "too many" neutrons is unstable, and it will want to decay in some way. Same with a nucleus that has "too few" neutrons. These unstable nuclei are radioactive - they're radioisotopes. Atomic nuclei will, depending on the atomic number (the number of protons), want a fairly specific number of neutrons around. These "numbers" represent the stable isotopes of the element under inspection. But other combinations of nucleons (protons and/or neutrons that make up an atomic nucleus) are possible, and these represent the unstable isotopes of the element being considered. (Note that there are some elements that have no stable isotopes.) Some unstable isotopes of some elements occur in nature, and some will only be seen as a result of atomic tests, nuclear accidents or will appear in high energy physics experiments. In any case, we have a table of them, and it's called the table of radionuclides (or the table of nuclides).
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThe general answer is probably that a proton within the nucleus of the atom will undergo a conversion to become a neutron. An up quark in that proton will, under the influence of the weak nuclear force, become a down quark, and the proton transforms into a neutron. A positron and a neutrino will also be created and ejected from the nucleus. The atom will have undergone beta decay, and, more specifically beta plus decay. Links can be found below to check facts and learn more.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoCapturing and orbiting electron AND emitting a positron
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoBy emitting a beta particle :)
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Is xenon radioactve?
Some isotopes of xenon do undergo radioactive decay to caesium.
Will unstable nuclei all undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability?
Yes
Is xenon dangerous?
There are 40 unstable isotopes (an element contained in xenon) that undergo radioactive decay.
What characteristics do atoms of carbon-12 carbon-13 and carbon-14 have in common?
Well, the most important similarity they share is that they're both carbon. This means they have the same number of protons (six) in their nucleus. Assuming they're both electrically neutral, they will also each have six electrons. The difference is in their number of neutrons. Carbon-12 has six neutrons, carbon-14 has eight. This makes carbon-14 an isotope of carbon. Isotopes are a (usually) tiny minority of atoms of an element with a different number of neutrons than normal, maybe more, maybe less. It often means that the isotope is unstable, and may undergo one or more types of radioactive decay. In the case of carbon-14, it undergoes what is called beta decay, where one of those extra neutrons turns into a proton and an electron. The new proton makes it nitrogen, and the extra electron gets expelled from the atom's nucleus.
How many electrons protons and neutrons does tin have?
Glad you asked. Tin, which has 50 protons, has different "versions" that each have a different number of neutrons. We use the term isotope to denote the different versions of any element when we talk about that element's different nuclear configurations, its different numbers of neutrons. Some of these isotopes are stable and some are not. (Some elements have no stable isotopes - all their isotopes are unstable and undergo radioactive decay.) Let's check out tin.Tin has more stable isotopes than any other element. There are 50 protons in every tin atom (which is what makes it tin), and there are isotopes of tin that have 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72 and 74 neutrons which are all stable. There are some "gaps" in there, but there are isotopes of tin that "fill in the gaps" and also a lot of other isotopes, and they are made in the physics lab. There are isotopes of tin with from 49 to 87 neutrons, and they can all be seen by using the link to the table posted by our friends at Wikipedia. You'll find that link below.you didn't answwer the question at all.
Why does thorium undergo radioactive decay?
The ratio neutrons/protons in radioactive isotopes is the cause of their innstability.
What is the meaninq of two isotopes stable and unstable isotopes?
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons. Stable isotopes have a balanced number of protons and neutrons, meaning their nuclei do not decay over time. Unstable isotopes, also known as radioactive isotopes, have an imbalance of protons and neutrons, causing their nuclei to decay and emit radiation over time.
Why do some isotopes of elements spontaneously undergo radioactive decay?
Nuclei undergo radioactive decay in order to release some of the "stress" in the atom. At a certain point, the nucleus of an atom gets too large to sustain all of those protons and neutrons. When the "stress" is relieved, a phenomenon called radioactive decay occurs.
What is meant by the term decay?
The nucleus of each atom has a specific number of protons and neutrons and is either stable or unstable, depending on the relative number of each. The most stable atoms are those that have an equal number of protons and neutrons. Atoms that are unstable are radioactive. An atom that is radioactive can also be called a radionuclide. Of the known nuclides (approximately 2,000), only 264 are stable, and of the known radionuclides (approximately 1,700), only 70 occur in nature. The rest are man-made. Unstable atoms undergo a process called radioactive decay to reach a more stable state.
What type of radioactive nuclide is injected into a person who is about to undergo a PET scan?
an unstable, radioactive isotope that contains too many protons
What does an isotope release as a beta particle?
Usually when isotopes undergo beta decay they emit an electron, but some isotopes emit a positron instead. This depends on the relative number of neutrons to protons in the isotope which type of beta particle is emitted. An excess of neutrons leads to the emission of an electron, while an excess of protons leads to the emission of a positron.
When an isotope is blank it does not undergo radioactive decay?
when an isotope is it does not undergo radioactive decay
Why does cesium-137 undergo radioactive decay?
It's not just Cesium 137. Of the 3000 or so known isotopes, MOST undergo radioactive decay. Only a fairly small percentage of the isotopes are stable. Usually, stability is achieved when the amount of neutrons, compared to the amount of protons, is "just right" - not too few, not too many. For the heavier elements (beyond lead), stability is no longer possible for ANY isotope.
When are all atoms radioactive?
An atom "becomes" radioactive when it is created. It's that simple. Radioactivity is a phenomenon associated with atoms that have unstable nuclei. The key is that the protons and neutrons that form the nucleus "don't like" the "arrangement" there and the atomic nucleus is unstable. The "ratio" of protons to neutrons in a nucleus is intrinsically unstable. The instability is something that the nucleus, when it is formed (and by whatever means), has as an innate quality. It is unstable, and it isradioactive, and at some point in time, it will undergo decay, or even spontaneous fission, in the case of certain atoms, like uranium and plutonium.
Is it true that a unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability?
It is true that unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability. These include nuclei of #43 Technitium (Tc), any nucleus containing more that 83 protons and any nucleus with a high neutron-to-proton ratio, such as carbon-14. The most common forms of decay are by emission of an alpha particle (2 protons and 2 neutrons ... a helium nucleus!) or a beta-negative decay in which a neutron bcomes a proton by emitting an electron and an antineutrino.
The nuclide Sn is unstable what decay types would Sn be expected to undergo?
Beta decay to increase the ratio of protons to neutrons
What happens to the atomic mass number in a radioactive substance?
In a radioactive substance, the atomic mass number may change as a result of radioactive decay. During radioactive decay, radioactive atoms undergo nuclear reactions, which can lead to the emission of radioactive particles such as alpha or beta particles. These emitted particles can cause a change in the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, resulting in a different atomic mass number for the resulting atom or isotope.
