Question

When Uranium-238 decays, it emits 8 alpha particles and 6 beta particles before finally becoming stable daughter product; what is the atomic number and mass number of the daughter product? Show your work.

(Geology; Geologic time)

Answer 1

The atomic number of the daughter product is 84 and the mass number is 230.

Step-by-step explanation:

The daughter product of Uranium-238 decay is thorium-234. When Uranium-238 decays, it emits 8 alpha particles (each consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons) and 6 beta particles (electrons). The alpha particles have a mass number of 4 and the beta particles do not contribute to the mass number. Therefore, the atomic number (Z) of the daughter product is 92-8=84 and the mass number is 238-8=230. Thus, the daughter product is thorium-234 (Th-234).