Waiting for answer This question has not been answered yet. You can hire a professional tutor to get the answer.

QUESTION

# Can you write the nuclear decay equation for the beta decay of iodine-131?

The equation is ""_53^131"I" → ""_54^131"Xe" + color(white)(l)_text(-1)^0"e"

is a process in which a nucleus emits an electron.

The nuclear symbol for a β particle is color(white)(l)_text(-1)^0"e".

In any nuclear equation, the sum of the subscripts (atomic numbers, "Z") and the sum of the superscripts (atomic masses, "M") must be equal on each side of the equation.

For the β decay of iodine 131, we have

""_53^131"I" → color(white)(l)_text(Z)^"M""X" + color(white)(l)_text(-1)^0"e"

Hence

131 = "M" + 0, so "M" = 131 53 = "Z - 1", so "Z" = 53 + 1 = 54

The element "X" with "Z = 54" is "Xe".

So the equation is

""_53^131"I" → ""_54^131"Xe" + color(white)(l)_text(-1)^0"e"

Note that in β decay, the product has the same but an that has increased by 1.

Here's a video on writing β decay equations.