Question

In 1930 the American physicist Ernest Lawrence designed the first cyclotron in Berkeley, California. In 1937 Lawrence bombarded a molybdenum target with deuterium ions, producing for the first time an element not found in nature. What was this element? Starting with molybdenum-96 as your reactant, write a nuclear equation to represent this process.

 

 

Answer 1

Molybdenum-96 is represented by 9642Mo and deuterium is represented by 21H.

 

The hypothetical nuclear equation representing the bombarding reaction of molybdenum-96 with deuterium is as follows:

9642Mo + 21H → AZX

 

 

Explanation:

When molybdenum-96, 9642Mo, is bombarded with deuterium, 21H, a new element is formed.

9642Mo + 21H → AZX

 

Sum of atomic numbers should be same on both the sides of the equation.

42 + 1 = Z

        Z = 43

 

Therefore, atomic number of the new element is 43.

 

Sum of mass numbers should be same on both the sides of the equation.

96 + 2 = A

A = 98

 

Therefore, mass number of the new element is 98.

 

According to the periodic table, element with the atomic number 43 is technetium (Tc).

Hence, the new element formed is 9843Tc.

 

The overall nuclear equation is as follows:

9642Mo + 21H → 9843Tc

 

The element is technetium (Tc) and the nuclear equation is 9642Mo + 21H → 9843Tc.

Explanation:

The sum of mass numbers and atomic numbers is same on both the sides of the nuclear equation. Since molybdenum is bombarded with deuterium having atomic number 1 and atomic mass 2, the new element formed is only one atomic number ahead of molybdenum and its mass is 2 units more than molybdenum.

 

The element is technetium (Tc) and the nuclear equation is 9642Mo + 21H → 9843Tc.

The element is technetium (Tc) and the nuclear equation is 9642Mo + 21H → 9843Tc.