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Alpha decay is a form of radioactive decay in which
an atomic nucleus ejects an alpha particle and transforms into a nucleus with mass
number 4 less and atomic number 2 less. For example:
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although this is usually written as:
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Note that an alpha particle is a helium nucleus, and that both mass number and atomic number are conserved. Alpha decay can essentially be thought of
as nuclear fission where the parent nucleus splits into two daughter
nuclei. In some radioactive substances when beta decay occurs along with alpha
decay, atomic helium is formed.
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