In: Chemistry
1. Why is that during alpha emission, the atomic number decreases by two, and the mass number decreases by four? In your answer yu should consider what alpha particle is?
2. In beta emission, the atom loses an electron, yet the atomic increase by one and the mass number stays the same. How is this possible? It may help if you consider what happen to the number of neutrons and protons.
3. if an element is bombarded by an neutron and subsequently emits a gamma ray, then it follows that the mass number will increase by one. How is it then, the atomic number remains unchanged?