Question

What does Alpha Particle Mean?

Answer 1

1. An alpha particle is a positively charged particle emitted from the decay of various radioactive materials.
2. Alpha decay is a type of radioactive decay where the heavy(unstable) atomic nuclei emit a helium nucleus.
3. In this decay, the helium nucleus is known as an alpha particle.
4. In alpha decay the transformation of reaction:
   $$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{Parent}\mathrm{nulceus}\to \mathrm{daughter}\mathrm{nucleus}+\mathrm{alpha}\mathrm{particle} \\ {}_{\mathrm{Z}}{}^{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{X}\to {}_{\mathrm{Z}-2}{}^{\mathrm{A}-4}\mathrm{Y}+{}_2{}^4\mathrm{He} \end{gathered}$$
5. There are two protons and two neutrons in the alpha particles.