Chemistry · Rate of a chemical reaction, factors affecting the rate of reactions: concentration, temperature, pressure and catalyst

A nuclide undergoes -decay and another nuclide undergoes -decay. Which of the fo

A nuclide \( X \) undergoes \( \alpha \) -decay and another nuclide undergoes \( \beta \) -decay. Which of the following statements are correct? This question has multiple correct options

  • A. The \( \beta \) -particles emitted by \( Y \) may have widely different speed
  • B. The \( \alpha \) -particles emitted by \( X \) may have widely different speed
  • C. The \( \alpha \) -particles emitted by \( X \) will have almost the same speed
  • D. The \( \beta \) -particles emitted by \( Y \) will have the same speed

Step-by-step solution

In α-decay, the energy levels are discrete, so α-particles are emitted with a specific energy (and thus speed), ignoring recoil effects. Therefore, they have almost the same speed. In β-decay, the energy is shared with a neutrino, leading to a continuous energy spectrum, so β-particles have widely different speeds. Hence, statements A and C are correct, but among the given options, C is a definitive statement about α-decay.
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