Physics (AS & A Level) · Feb / March 2023 · Paper 12 · Question 39

Americium-241 is a radioactive nuclide used in smoke detectors. It undergoes α-decay to form nuclide X. This decay may be represented by the equation shown. \[^{241}_{95}\text{Am} \rightarrow ^{A}_{Z}\text{X} + \alpha\] What are the values of A and Z?

1. AA = 237, Z = 93
2. BA = 239, Z = 91
3. CA = 241, Z = 94
4. DA = 241, Z = 96

As printed in the paper