Question

Why an alpha particle but not a proton is emitted by radioactive nuclei

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

First of all we shall see what is an alpha particle, an alpha particle is a helium nucleus that is it contains two protons and two neutron. Alpha particle are emitted by unstable or radioactive atomic nuclei.

Now clearly, alpha particles can't be emitted by neutron or protons as they themselves are composed of protons and neutrons (a proton can't emit another proton)

Now the question arises is ‘Why are alpha particles emitted by radioactive atoms??’

A nuclei of an atom is composed of many neutrons (having neutral charge) and protons (having positive charge), as we know in electromagnetic forces, like charges repeal, so there is a repulsion between all the protons of the neucli. ‘Then why is the neucli together ?’ What binds all the protons and neutrons together is called strong nuclear force which is a short range force. As the size of the neucli increases it gets harder and harder for strong nuclear force to hold the neucli together (remember its short range force), as the electromagnetic force comes to know that strong nuclear is getting weak, it does its best to set the protons in repulsion, thus a fight goes on between these two and an atom becomes unstable or as we say radioactive. Finally when electromagnetic force wins,

it breaks the nucli into a daughter neucli and alpha particles, thus size is reduced and it's again possibly for strong nuclear force to bind the neucli together ( if the daughter neucli is also unstable it further decays until it becomes stable).

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