Is 4^2He an alpha particle
Yes, 4^2He is indeed an alpha particle. An alpha particle is composed of two protons and two neutrons, which is the same composition as a helium-4 nucleus. The superscript 4 represents the mass number (sum of protons and neutrons) and the subscript 2 represents the atomic number (number of protons).
Yes, 4^2He is indeed an alpha particle.
Let's break down the notation:
- The number before the element symbol represents the mass number, which is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
- The number below the element symbol represents the atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
- The element symbol represents the specific element.
In this case, 4 is the mass number, which means there are 4 particles (protons and neutrons) in the nucleus, and 2 is the atomic number, which means there are 2 protons in the nucleus. The symbol He represents the element Helium.
Since an alpha particle consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons, which matches the composition of 4^2He, it is indeed an alpha particle.