Chapter 25, Problem 76SCQ

Interpretation Introduction

INTERPRETATION: The sequence of nuclei for transformation from $\text{T}\text{h}$ to $\text{T}\text{h}$ should be determined.

Concept introduction: In the radioactive decay process the unstable isotopes loses their energy by emitting radiation in order to attain stable species. It is converted in to stable isotopes by emitting positron ${}_{+1}^0\beta$ , gamma ${}_0^0\gamma$ , Beta $\beta$, alpha ${}_2^{4}He$ and or by electron capture ${}_{-1}^{0}e$ .

Isotopes: The two elements with same atomic number but with different mass number are considered as isotopes of each other.

The radioactive decay series for thorium is as follows,

$\left(\begin{array}{l}\text{Th-232}\stackrel{\text{α}}{\to }\text{Ra-228}\stackrel{\text{β}}{\to }\text{Ac-228}\stackrel{\text{β}}{\to }\text{Th-228}\stackrel{\text{α}}{\to }\text{Ra-224}\\ \downarrow \text{α}\\ \text{Po-212}\stackrel{\text{β}}{\leftarrow }\text{Bi-212}\stackrel{\text{β}}{\leftarrow }\text{Pb-212}\stackrel{\text{α}}{\leftarrow }\text{Po-216}\stackrel{\text{α}}{\leftarrow }\text{Rn-220}\\ \downarrow \text{α}\\ \text{Pb-208}\end{array}\right)$