Plutonium-242 decays to uranium-238 by emission of an a particle with an energy
ID: 989909 • Letter: P
Question
Plutonium-242 decays to uranium-238 by emission of an a particle with an energy of 4.853 MeV. The U that forms is unstable and emits a gamma ray (lambda = 0.02757 nm). Write a balanced net equation for these reactions. Include atomic numbers with the nuclides. Use the Creek symbol a, with the appropriate mass and atomic numbers, to represent the alpha particle. Use the Creek symbol gamma to represent gamma radiation. What would be the energy of the a particle if^242Pu decayed directly to the more stable^238U?Explanation / Answer
(a)
(b) 9.350x107 Mev