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) 95243Am. This represents the radioactive isotope of americium that has one more neutron than americium-241.
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 have a limited range in air due to their charge and mass, typically traveling only a few centimeters.
Step 3
Complete the equation in Figure 12 for americium-241 decaying into neptunium (Np).
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Answer
The equation for the decay of americium-241 (95241Am) into neptunium (Np) can be expressed as:
95241Am→93237Np+24He
This indicates that americium-241 emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) in the decay process.
