⇒ Our ^A_ZX notation is used to describe the nuclear reactions that happen during nuclear decay

⇒ During nuclear decay, there are two conservation rules that must be remembered:

• Nucleon number, A, is always conserved
• Proton number, Z, is always conserved

⇒ What this means is that before and after the decay, the total value for A and Z remains the same i.e. the total nucleon number and proton number stay the same before and after the decay

⇒ If you have radium-226 and it decays, you will produce an alpha particle and the radioactive gas radon-222

⇒ If you have carbon-14and it decays, you will produce a beta particle, an antineutrino, and nitrogen-14:

⇒ Also see our notes on:

• Introduction to Particles and Nuclides
• The Building Blocks
• Stable/Unstable Nuclei
• Nuclear Radiation
• Electromagnetic Radiation
• Antiparticles