Given that a parent and a daughter nucleus are isotopes of the same element, the ratio of alpha to beta decays which produced the daughter must be which of the following?
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Correct Answer: B. 1 to 2
Alpha decay results in the loss of two protons, while ordinary beta decay results in the gain of one proton. Since isotopes of the same element have the same number of protons, the number of protons lost by alpha decay must equal the number gained by beta decay. Therefore, twice as many beta decays as alpha decays must occur, so the ratio of alpha to beta decays is 1:2.
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