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A transuranic element can be produced in a nuclear reactor according to this equation: $$^{239}_{94}Pu + 2X \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{94}Pu \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{95}Am + Y$$ Which row of the table correctly identifies X and Y? (A) X | Y Neutron | Electron (B) X | Y Proton | Neutron (C) X | Y Neutron | Proton (D) X | Y Proton | Electron - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 12 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 12
A transuranic element can be produced in a nuclear reactor according to this equation: $$^{239}_{94}Pu + 2X \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{94}Pu \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A transuranic element can be produced in a nuclear reactor according to this equation: $$^{239}_{94}Pu + 2X \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{94}Pu \rightarrow $$ $$^{241}_{95}Am + Y$$ Which row of the table correctly identifies X and Y? (A) X | Y Neutron | Electron (B) X | Y Proton | Neutron (C) X | Y Neutron | Proton (D) X | Y Proton | Electron - HSC - SSCE Chemistry - Question 12 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Identify X and Y in the equation
Answer
In the given nuclear equation, we need to balance the nuclear reaction. Starting with the initial reactant, we have 239 Pu and 2X. The resulting products are 241 Pu and Y. To identify X and Y, we must observe how the elements change.
A transuranic element (in this case, 241 Am) typically forms when a neutron is absorbed by plutonium, transforming it to an isotope with different neutron and proton counts.
For X, since we are adding 2 to the original isotope, they will be neutrons. For Y, we need to determine how many protons appear on the product side. Since Am has one more proton than the Pu, Y should be an electron to maintain the charge balance.