The process of a radioactive decay is atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles
Alpha
Nothing, it is purely a random quantum mechanical process.But there are many ways to measure it. Once you can measure it though the results can be used in many ways including making very accurate estimates of the ages of bodies that died thousands of years ago, fossils, rocks, etc.
The equation for the beta decay of 32P: 1532P --> 1632S + -10e where the e is a beta particle, represented as an electron. The daughter atom is sulfur and has an atomic number of 16.
The reason why an atomic bomb produces such a large explosion is that certain radioactive isotopes, such as U-235 or plutonium, can be made to undergo a chain reaction in which all the atoms will decay in a very short period of time (a small fraction of a second) releasing all the energy at once. Radium does not do that. However, if you had a substantial quantity of radium you could certainly use it to create radioactive contamination which could induce cancer in many people. That is known as a "dirty bomb".
The daughter isotope of Pu-239 is U-235.
Alpha
The decay equation for uranium-238 (U-238) decaying into an alpha particle (helium-4) can be represented as follows: (^{238}{92}\text{U} \rightarrow ^{4}{2}\text{He} + ^{234}_{90}\text{Th}). This equation shows the radioactive decay process of U-238 into an alpha particle and thorium-234.
alpha
Uranium 238 breaks down into a series of radioactive products formed by giving off radiation. Uranium-238, Thorium-234, Protactinium-234, and Uranium-234 are the first 4 in the series.
Because all the particles formed are radioactive.
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Uranium 238 goes through a decay series until it becomes lead. An intermediate product of this decay series is Thorium 234. Uranium 238 decays into an atom of Thorium 234 and an atom of Helium 4. The Helium 4, being a gas, frequently escapes into the atmosphere. Since the decay of Uranium 238 into Thorium 234 and Helium 4 gives off heat and mass, nature does not normally reverse the process.
The primary decay product of uranium (U), particularly uranium-238 (U-238), is radon-222 (Rn-222) after a series of decay steps. Uranium-235 (U-235) also decays into various isotopes, ultimately leading to lead-207 (Pb-207) as a stable end product. Overall, uranium decays through a complex series of radioactive isotopes before stabilizing into non-radioactive elements.
The decay chain for U-238 stops at lead because lead-206 is a stable isotope, meaning it does not undergo further radioactive decay. Once uranium-238 undergoes a series of alpha and beta decays, it eventually reaches a stable isotope of lead, which ends the decay chain.
When Uranium-238 (U-238) emits alpha radiation, it loses two protons and two neutrons, resulting in the formation of Thorium-234 (Th-234). This process alters the nucleus, reducing its mass and atomic number. The subsequent gamma radiation often accompanies alpha decay as the nucleus transitions to a more stable energy state. Ultimately, this decay process is part of U-238's pathway toward becoming stable lead-206 through a series of radioactive decay steps.
What is missing is the type of decay that occurs during the transformation. For example, uranium-238 decays into thorium-234 through alpha decay, so the missing component would be the emission of an alpha particle in the balanced equation.
I'm not sure if there is one word to describe different processes. Thus there can be radioactive decay into a different isotope (alpha or beta decay), gamma ray emission which means a change in energy state of the nucleus, nuclear fission as in U-235 in a reactor, and neutron induced change such as U-238 absorbing a neutron becoming Pu-239.