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An alpha particle is a helium-4 nucleus. It has a mass of about 4 Atomic Mass units.

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Which of these masses is the largest alpha particle antineutrino gamma radiation beta particle?

Alpha Particle


Which particle is most massive in radioactivity?

You think probable to alpha particles.


What is made up of 2 protons and 2 neutrons?

In terms of radioactivity it is an alpha particle.


Why the alpha particles could not smash the nucleus apart?

The alpha particle is positively charged (as is the nucleus) and is heavy compared with the neutron that is neutral and lighter than the alpha particle.Another viewpoint:It depends what experiment the question is about. For example, over a hundred years ago, Rutherford bombarded gold foil with alpha particles and some "bounced off" what we now call the nucleus of the atoms. However, about ten years later he did experiments in which alpha particles did indeed "split" atomic nuclei. So, sometimes alpha particles can certainly smash a nucleus apart.


What does an alpha decay look like?

It can be difficult to visualize something so small that it cannot be seen directly with any light-based instrument. But we can make a stab at it, so let's do that. An atomic nucleus is tiny beyond anything we've ever seen. It's really, really small. But picture a fuzzy sphere hanging in space. (The electrons will not be part of the picture because they are far, far away on the scale in which an atomic nucleus would be visible.) There's a little vibrating fuzzy sphere, and something is happening to it. Is it changing shape in subtle ways? A very short distance from the nucleus, we'll see a tiny fuzzy sphere appear almost out of nowhere. That's the alpha particle, and its much smaller than the nucleus. It is composed of a pair of protons and a pair of neutrons bound together. It's a helium-4 nucleus, but you may have figured that out. The reason it seems to "magically appear" near the nucleus is because the alpha particle is believed to escape the nucleus via the mechanism of quantum mechanical tunneling. In one moment, the nucleus is whole, though it is unstable, and the next instant it has lost some of its mass and the alpha particle appears. That little alpha particle has tunneled out of the nucleus and was not seen actually exiting the mass of that nucleus. We might add that the nucleus has just undergone a nuclear transformation, and we call it nuclear transmutation. Where one chemical element existed before, another one that is two atomic numbers down on the periodic table will be left. That alpha particle, the one that slipped unseen from the nucleus, will appear, but it won't be still. It will materialize and be off in a flash. It comes away with a tremendous amount of kinetic energy. It's really moving! It will rocket out away from the nucleus and blow through the electron cloud like it wasn't even there. It's a helium-4 nucleus as we mentioned, and its a nucleus without electrons, but it is moving far too quickly to have a high probability of "capturing" any electrons from the atom from which it arose. It isn't taking any "baggage" with it. There will be some "shape changes" in the nucleus of the atom that the alpha particle left, but it ends up a bit smaller and as indistinct in our view as it was in the beginning. Following the alpha particle farther out, we'll see that little guy slamming into air or whatever else is in its way. These "collisions" will be scattering events, and atoms will be ionized in the process. If any solid material is present, the alpha particle will pretty much be hammered into a stop. Alpha particles don't have a lot of penetrating power. A piece of paper will block them. The alpha particle will then snatch a couple of electrons from just about anywhere around it, and the "transformation" of that alpha particle into a helium-4 atom will be complete.

Related questions

Is radium identical to an alpha particle?

No. Radium is a heavy metal, atomic number 88 (with 88 protons). An alpha particle is a helium nucleus, atomic number 2. Radium decays by each atom emitting an alpha particle, becoming Radon gas, atomic nubmer 86.


Which is also called an alpha particle?

An alpha particle is also called a helium-4 nucleus, consisting of two protons and two neutrons. It is emitted during the radioactive decay of heavy elements such as uranium and radium.


How manyneutrons are in an alpha particle?

There are 2 neutron in an alpha particle.


What is a stream of particles containing two neutrons and two protons?

A stream of particles containing two neutrons and two protons is an alpha particle. Alpha particles are emitted during alpha decay in radioactive processes. They have a positive charge and are relatively heavy compared to other types of particles.


A particle that leaves a short thick trail in a cloud chamber?

The particle that leaves a short, thick trail in a cloud chamber is likely an alpha particle. Alpha particles are positively charged and relatively heavy, which causes them to ionize the gas molecules in the chamber, creating a dense trail.


Which of these masses is the largest alpha particle antineutrino gamma radiation beta particle?

Alpha Particle


Is alpha particle non fundamental?

Yes, the alpha particle is nonfundamental.


What compose An alpha particle?

Actually right from the heavy nuclei such Uranium, Thorium etc a particle comes out. It seems composed of two protons and two neutrons. It is named as alpha particle by Henry Becquerel without knowing the actual composition of the same. If there be two protons inside, then it is named as Helium. So alpha particle is nothing but the Helium nucleus or doubly ionised Helium atom.


What is the electrical charge of an alpha particle?

An alpha particle has a charge of +2e, where e represents the elementary charge of a proton. This means that an alpha particle has a charge equivalent to two protons.


What are the common radoactive partices that can be blocked by paper?

The Alpha Particle has a very short range and can be blocked with heavy paper shielding.


How do the mass and size of an alpha particle compare with mass and size of beta particle?

An alpha particle is larger and has more mass than a beta particle. An alpha particle is made up of two protons and two neutrons, giving it a mass of 4 atomic mass units, whereas a beta particle is much lighter and has a mass close to that of an electron. Size-wise, an alpha particle is larger in diameter compared to a beta particle.


What neutrons are in an alpha particle?

A nucleon is the amount of protons and neutrons. An alpha particle has an atomic number of 2 and a atomic mass of 4 then it has 2 protons and 2 neutrons.There are 4 nucleons in an alpha particle.