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What happens to an atom that experiences radioactive decay?
O A. It loses mass.
B. It absorbs energy.
C. It gains electrons.
D. It burns up.

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PoshBabe

Answer:

I think the answer is a

Explanation:

An atom loses mass when the atom experiences radioactive decay.

What is radioactive decay?

Radioactive decay is when the balance of protons and neutrons in the nucleus isn't quite right, so it emits particles and energy.

Radioactive decay is when the nucleus of an atom isn't stable - it could have too many protons that push each other apart, or too many neutrons, and it's just like a big lump of rock and can fall apart.

There are three kinds of radioactive decay, all named after Greek letters: alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ).

  • α-decay happens in unstable nuclei and an α-particle is emitted, which is equivalent to the helium nucleus. Two protons and two neutrons are emitted, reducing the total mass number by four and the atomic number by two, making the atom into a new, smaller, more stable element.

  • β-decay is when you've got too many neutrons, so a neutron decays into a proton.

  • γ-decay is where the atom emits a photon with the wavelength of a γ-ray.

Hence, option A is the correct answer.

Learn more about radioactive decay here:

https://brainly.com/question/1770619

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