Alpha Decay

[Bridget Jones]

Hi

 

Please could anyone advise the best way to show 7 successions of alpha decay on: 234

U

92

 

I know the answer is 206

Hg

80

 

Should I show it as 7 different stages eg. stage 1 234 230 4

U ---- Th + He

92 90 2

 

Stage 2 230 226 4

Th ------ Ra + He

90 88 2

 

etc etc

 

or can I simplify it as :

 

234 206 4

U ------- Hg + 7( He )

92 80 2

 

Hope this makes sense, I would be most grateful for any advice.

 

Thank you

[Dave]

I think I'd show it in seperate stages rather than combine it all into one humongous equation.

[Bridget Jones]

Thanks for that Dave. This is the first time I've used a forum so format of my post not that good, guess I have to work on that one!

[budullewraagh]

oh well, at least you did it correctly

[Dave]

Easiest way is to use LaTeX:

 

[math]\left._{92}^{234} \mbox{U} \right.[/math]

 

Like I said in the other thread

[budullewraagh]

good call, dave

[Bridget Jones]

So let me get this right if I was for example expressing flourine, I should write:

{9}^{19} F ?

[swansont]

Hi

 

Please could anyone advise the best way to show 7 successions of alpha decay on: 234

U

92

 

I know the answer is 206

Hg

80

 

 

Shouldn't 7 alpha decays be [math]^{206}_{78}\mbox{Pt}[/math] ?

 

I realize this may just be an exercise in writing out the steps' date=' but there's no way that this result is physically real. [math']^{214}_{82}\mbox{Pb}[/math] only beta decays. You have to include that, along with some other (unlikely) branching, to arrive at [math]^{206}_{80}\mbox{Hg}[/math]

[Bridget Jones]

Shouldn't 7 alpha decays be [math]^{206}_{78}\mbox{Pt}[/math] ?

 

I realize this may just be an exercise in writing out the steps' date=' but there's no way that this result is physically real. [math']^{214}_{82}\mbox{Pb}[/math] only beta decays. You have to include that, along with some other (unlikely) branching, to arrive at [math]^{206}_{80}\mbox{Hg}[/math]

Yes you're right, thanks. Glad it was hypothetical and not an actual answer to an assignment!