When Polonium-218 undergoes alpha decay, it produces lead (Pb). Write a balanced equation for this reaction

Question

This is a question for my scien class and it is about the periodic table and stuff like that.

Answer 1

You need to show a Po nucleus producing a Pb nucleus and an He nucleus (i.e. an α particle), and you need to balance the sum of mass numbers on both sides of the equation, and balance the sum of atomic numbers on both sides of the equation.

 

₈₄Po²¹⁸ → ₈₂Pb²¹⁴ + ₂He⁴