PhysicsLAB: Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity

A lone neutron spontaneously decays into a proton plus an

Alpha and beta rays are made of streams of particles, whereas gamma rays are streams of ____.

An electrically charged atom is called an ____.

Different ____ of an element are chemically identical but differ in the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

Transuranic elements are those beyond atomic number ____.

If the amount of a certain radioactive sample decreases by half in four weeks, in four more weeks the amount remaining should be ____ of the original amount.

Water from a natural hot spring is warmed by ____ inside the earth,

Refer to the following information for the next four questions.

The gas in the little girl's balloon is made up of former alpha and beta particles produced by radioactive decay.

If the mixture is electrically neutral, how many more beta particles than alpha particles are in the balloon?

Why is your answer not "the same?"

Why are the alpha and beta particles no longer harmful to the child?

What element does this mixture make?