Worksheet on Nuclear Stability

Name:________________

Period:_________

Date:_________

1.

Use the stability band shown on the left

to answer the following questions.
a. Will a nucleus with 60 protons and 70 neutrons be stable?
b. Will Zn-70 isotope be stable?
c. Which of the following isotopes will be radioactive? Ne-21, Nd130, K-39, Zr-120.

2. Fill in the table below.

Radiat
ion
Type

Gamma

Symb
ol
4
2 He
0
0

Mass
(amu)
4
1/184
0

Char
ge
+2
-1

3. Fill in missing parts for the following nuclear equations:

a. 146C 147 N + _____
b.

226
88

Ra

222
86

c.

239
94

Pu

4
2

Rn

He

+ _____
+ _____

d.

99
43

0
1

Tc

4
2

e. _______
f.

42
19

0
1

He

+ _____
+

208
81

Tl

+ _____

4. What is the new isotope if Polonium-210 undergone the following

radioactive decay?
a. decay
b. decay

5. Fill in missing parts for the following nuclear equations and specify
what type of nuclear decay:
24
a. 28
+ _____
13 Al 11 Na
b.

238
92

4
2

c.

80
35

Br

80
36

d.

127
53

0
1

e. _______
f.

19
9

He

0
1

Kr

4
2

He

+ _____
+ _____
+ _____
+

175
71

Lu

+ _____

6. An isotope produced via one -decay has 73 protons and 104 neutrons.
What is the original isotope before the radioactive decay? Show your
work and specify isotopes using nuclear notations.

7. The starting isotope has 75 protons in its nucleus with a mass number
of 186. What is the product after the isotope undergoes three decays? Show your work and specify isotopes using nuclear notations.