Physics · Composition and size of nucleus, atomic masses, mass-energy relation, mass defect

The missing particle in the reaction:

The missing particle in the reaction: \( \underset{99}{253} \boldsymbol{E} \boldsymbol{s}+_{2}^{4} \boldsymbol{H} \boldsymbol{e} \rightarrow_{101}^{256} \boldsymbol{M} \boldsymbol{d}+ \)

  • A. deuteron
  • B. proton
  • C. neutron
  • D. \( \beta \) - particle

Step-by-step solution

Conservation of atomic number: left side (99+2=101) equals right side (101+? → ?=0). Conservation of mass number: left side (253+4=257) equals right side (256+? → ?=1). Thus the missing particle has mass number 1 and atomic number 0, which is a neutron.
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