the radiation produced by cobalt - 60 helps preserve food by killing bacteria that can cause food to spoil…

the radiation produced by cobalt - 60 helps preserve food by killing bacteria that can cause food to spoil. as cobalt - 60 decays, it emits radiation that is attracted toward a positively charged metal plate and radiation that is neither attracted toward nor repelled by a positively charged metal plate. select the nuclear reaction that describes this process. $_{27}^{60}co\rightarrow_{2}^{4}alpha+_{ - 1}^{0}\beta+_{26}^{56}fe$ $_{27}^{60}co\rightarrow_{0}^{0}gamma+_{2}^{4}he+_{25}^{56}mn$ $_{27}^{60}co\rightarrow_{28}^{60}ni+_{0}^{0}gamma+_{ - 1}^{0}e$ $_{27}^{60}co\rightarrow_{2}^{4}he+_{26}^{56}fe+_{ - 1}^{0}e$
Answer
Explanation:
Step1: Recall radiation properties
Alpha - particles ($\alpha$) are positively charged, beta - particles ($\beta$) are negatively charged, and gamma - rays ($\gamma$) are neutral. The radiation attracted to a positively charged plate is negatively charged (beta - particle), and the radiation that is neither attracted nor repelled is neutral (gamma - ray).
Step2: Analyze each nuclear - reaction option
- Option 1: $\ce{^{60}{27}Co\rightarrow^{4}{2}\alpha +^{0}{ - 1}\beta+^{56}{26}Fe}$ has an alpha - particle ($\alpha$), a beta - particle ($\beta$), but the mass and charge conservation is incorrect for this reaction.
- Option 2: $\ce{^{60}{27}Co\rightarrow^{0}{0}\gamma +^{4}{2}He+^{56}{25}Mn}$ has a gamma - ray ($\gamma$) and an alpha - particle ($\alpha$), but the mass and charge conservation is incorrect for this reaction.
- Option 3: $\ce{^{60}{27}Co\rightarrow^{60}{28}Ni +^{0}{0}\gamma+^{0}{ - 1}e}$ emits a gamma - ray ($\gamma$) which is neutral and a beta - particle ($\beta$ or $^{0}_{ - 1}e$) which is negatively charged, and also conserves mass and charge.
- Option 4: $\ce{^{60}{27}Co\rightarrow^{4}{2}He +^{56}{26}Fe+^{0}{ - 1}e}$ has an alpha - particle ($\alpha$), a beta - particle ($\beta$), but the mass and charge conservation is incorrect for this reaction.
Answer:
$\ce{^{60}{27}Co\rightarrow^{60}{28}Ni +^{0}{0}\gamma+^{0}{ - 1}e}$