Figure 11 is the symbol for a nucleus of americium-241 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2023 - Paper 1
Question 7
Figure 11 is the symbol for a nucleus of americium-241.
Americium-241 is a radioactive isotope of americium.
Americium-241 decays by emitting alpha ($\alpha$) part... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Figure 11 is the symbol for a nucleus of americium-241 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2023 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which of these is the symbol for another radioactive isotope of americium?
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Answer
The correct answer is B) 243Am. This represents another isotope of americium where the mass number is 243.
Step 2
Which of these is the approximate maximum distance that alpha particles can travel in air at normal atmospheric pressure?
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Answer
The correct answer is B) 5 cm. Alpha particles typically travel only a short distance in air because of their relatively large mass and charge.
Step 3
Complete the equation in Figure 12 for americium-241 decaying into neptunium (Np).
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Answer
The decay equation for americium-241 decaying into neptunium can be written as:
95241Am→93237Np+24α
This shows the decay process, including the emission of an alpha particle.
