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Radioactive Decay Series Worksheet

This worksheet explains alpha and beta decay in radioactive substances, including the effects on mass number and atomic number.

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Radioactive Decay Series Worksheet

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  1. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet Init 5/11/2012 by Daniel R. Barnes based on a years-old worksheet mass number = # of protons + # of neutrons a U 238 92 atomic number = # of protons

  2. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet He ?? 4 ??? ??? 2 a alpha particle U 238 92 An alpha particle has a mass number of 4 and an atomic number of two. Because of its atomic number, an alpha particle is, essentially, a helium nucleus.

  3. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet He 4 2 a Th U ?? 238 234 ??? 92 ??? 90 Alpha decay make a nucleus’ mass number go down by four. Alpha decay also makes a nucleus’ atomic number go town by two.

  4. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet e ?? 0 ??? He 4 ??? -1 2 b a beta particle Th U 238 234 92 90 An beta particle has a mass number of 0 and an atomic number of negative one. A beta particle is, essentially, an electron that gets shot out of a radioactive nucleus at very high speed.

  5. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet e 0 He 4 -1 2 b a Th U Pa ?? 238 234 234 ??? 92 90 91 ??? During beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of the atom splits into a proton and an electron. The proton remains in the nucleus, causing its atomic number to increase by one, while the electron is ejected as a beta particle.

  6. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet b b a Pa Th 234 U U 234 238 234 ? 91 92 92 90 THINK PAIR SHARE! ONE MINUTE! It looks like the uranium atom has turned back into uranium again, but is it exactly the way it was at the beginning? Almost. The atomic number is the same, but the mass number has changed. The atom is now the same element it used to be, but it is a different isotope of uranium.

  7. Radioactive Decay SeriesWorksheet b b a Pa Th 234 U U 234 238 THINK PAIR SHARE! ONE MINUTE! 234 91 92 92 90 SUMMARY: Alpha decay causes mass number to go down by four and atomic number to go down by two. a Beta decay causes mass number to stay the same and atomic number to go up by one. Th ? 230 90 A gamma particle might come out during alpha or beta decay, but when it does, it does not affect the mass number or the atomic number.

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