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Ch.21 - Nuclear Chemistry

Chapter 21, Problem 15b

Decay of which nucleus will lead to the following products: (b) chromium-50 by positron emission?

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Welcome back everyone in this example, we need to determine the nucleus that will produce manganese 53 when it undergoes positron emission. So let's begin by writing out part of our expression where we have an equation with the reactant being are unknown nucleus which will define as X. With the unknown mass number, which will list as a. And the unknown atomic number with which is represented by our symbol Z. So this is atomic number and A. Is our mass number. Recall that mass number is found from taking our protons added to our number of neutrons. So With this expression we know that this is going to be producing according to the prompt manganese 53 represented by MN. With the mass number 53 as given in its isotope name. And we would recognize on our periodic table that manganese found in R. D transition metal block corresponds to atomic number 25. And for our second product we have a positron particle, which we should recall is represented by the symbol for an electron E. And corresponds to the atomic number of plus one and the mass number of zero. So recall that this is a positron particle. So what we need to do is solve for the identity of this unknown new glide. So what we're going to do is set up an expression first to solve for the mass number A. By plugging in our knowns we know that are unknown mass number A is equal to our known mass number of manganese being 53 plus are known mass number of our positron particle being zero. And so we would say that A is therefore equal to 53 as its mass number. Moving on to sell for our atomic number Z. We would plug in our known because we know that Z is equal to our product side. Where we have our known atomic number of manganese being 25 plus are known atomic number of our positron particle being one. And so that would give us our atomic number equal to the value meaning that when we refer to our periodic table, we would see that the atomic number 26 corresponds to our atom for iron F. E. And so writing out our nuclear equation, we're going to have the complete equation where we have our new glide being iron With the atomic number 26 and our mass number of Which produces Manganese, and our positron particle. And this is going to be our final answer, which is our symbol for iron as the nucleus that is going to produce manganese when it undergoes a positron emission. So what's highlighted in yellow is our final answer? I hope everything I over viewed was clear. If you have any questions, leave them down below and I will see everyone in the next practice video