Question

Why is potassium 41 unstable?

Answer 1

This difference is enough to make potassium 40 unstable. The reason for this is that protons, like neutrons, like to exist in pairs in a nucleus. Potassium 40 contains odd numbers of both – 19 protons and 21 neutrons. As a result it has one bachelor proton and one bachelor neutron.

Answer 2

This difference is enough to make potassium 40 unstable. The reason for this is that protons, like neutrons, like to exist in pairs in a nucleus. Potassium 40 contains odd numbers of both – 19 protons and 21 neutrons. As a result it has one bachelor proton and one bachelor neutron.