Help with science question?

Question

Write the equation that shows how radium 226 decays to give an alpha particle and another element?

Answer 1

alpha particle is helium
and you write the equation like any other chemical reaction
Ra= He + the other element.
The way you find the other element is by finding the atomic number of Ra and subtracting 2 from the number (2 is the atomic number of helium). the number you get is the atomic number of ur new element.
in most cases you write the mass number on the top left corner of each element in the reaction and the atomic number on the bottom left. the mass number should be 226-4 (4 is the mass number of helium)
NOTE: sometimes the mass number you get for the element is different from the number that is on the periodic table...but that's fine...as long as you get the atomic number right.
sorry for the long explanation...it's actually not that difficult to explain face to face..good luck:)

Answer 2

Any decay is an exponential function

N(t)= N0 exp(-kt)
In this case
N(t) - number of atoms present as a function of time
N0 - initial number of atoms
k - time constant
t - time

Radium-226, the most common isotope, is an alpha emitter, with accompanying gamma radiation, and has a half-life of about 1600 years.

Finally

Ra(226, 88)= Rn(222, 86) + He (4,2)

Hint
226 atomic weight
88 number of protons

I hope it helps