In the nuclear reaction 4 He + 14 N --> 17 O + X, what is X?

To determine what X is in the nuclear reaction 4 He + 14 N → 17 O + X, we need to balance the nuclear reaction by ensuring that both the atomic numbers and mass numbers are equal on both sides.

First, let's break down the particles involved:

• The mass number of helium (4 He) is 4 and its atomic number (the number of protons) is 2.

• The mass number of nitrogen (14 N) is 14 and its atomic number is 7.

• 17 O has a mass number of 17 and an atomic number of 8.

Now, we sum the atomic and mass numbers on the left side of the reaction:

• Total mass number on the left: 4 (from He) + 14 (from N) = 18

• Total atomic number on the left: 2 (from He) + 7 (from N) = 9

Next, for the right side, we have:

• The mass number of 17 O is 17, and since we need the total mass number to equal 18, we deduce:

If we have 17 from O, then for mass, X must have a mass number of