(a) Write the equation for the decay of 232 Th by a single alpha particle. (b) Determine the energy Q released in this decay. (c) What percentage of the 232Th nuclei that existed when the Earth was formed 4.54 billion years ago are still around today?

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232Th is an alpha emitter that has a half life that is similar to the age of the
universe (t1/2 = 1.405 10¹0 years). For this question, you will need to use information from
the table on the last page of the exam, and also the fact that the mass of an alpha particle
is 4.001506 amu, and an amu is equal to 931.5 MeV/c².
(a) Write the equation for the decay of 232 Th by a single alpha particle.
(b) Determine the energy
(c) What percentage of the 232Th nuclei that existed when the Earth was formed 4.54 billion
years ago are still around today?
released in this decay.
Transcribed Image Text:232Th is an alpha emitter that has a half life that is similar to the age of the universe (t1/2 = 1.405 10¹0 years). For this question, you will need to use information from the table on the last page of the exam, and also the fact that the mass of an alpha particle is 4.001506 amu, and an amu is equal to 931.5 MeV/c². (a) Write the equation for the decay of 232 Th by a single alpha particle. (b) Determine the energy (c) What percentage of the 232Th nuclei that existed when the Earth was formed 4.54 billion years ago are still around today? released in this decay.
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