Potassium ion is present in foods and is an essential nutrient in the human body. One of the naturally occurring isotopes of potassium, potassium-40, is radioactive. Potassium-40 has a natural abundance of 0.0117% and a half-life t1>2 = 1.28 * 109 yr. It undergoes radioactive decay in three ways: 98.2% is by electron capture, 1.35% is by beta emission, and 0.49% is by positron emission.Write the nuclear equations for the three modes by which 40K decays.

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Potassium ion is present in foods and is an essential nutrient in the human body. One of the naturally occurring isotopes of potassium, potassium-40, is radioactive. Potassium-40 has a natural abundance of 0.0117% and a half-life t1>2 = 1.28 * 109 yr. It undergoes radioactive decay in three ways: 98.2% is by electron capture, 1.35% is by beta emission, and 0.49% is by positron emission.Write the nuclear equations for the three modes by which 40K decays.

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