²⁵¹Cf → ²⁴⁷Cm + ⁴He
Here's what the equation represents:
* ²⁵¹Cf: The parent nucleus, Californium-251, with 98 protons and 153 neutrons.
* ²⁴⁷Cm: The daughter nucleus, Curium-247, with 96 protons and 151 neutrons.
* ⁴He: An alpha particle, which is essentially a helium nucleus consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
Explanation:
In alpha decay, the parent nucleus emits an alpha particle, which is a helium nucleus. This results in the daughter nucleus having 2 fewer protons and 2 fewer neutrons than the parent nucleus. The atomic number (number of protons) decreases by 2, and the mass number (number of protons and neutrons) decreases by 4.
The half-life of Californium-251 is approximately 900 years.
