Decay of Iodine-121 Isotope
What happens when iodine-121 decays by releasing a positron?
iodine-121 yields positron plus what?
Answer:
When the isotope iodine-121 decays by releasing a positron, the resulting isotope is Tellurium-121.
Decay of isotopes is a natural process that occurs in unstable atoms to reach a more stable state. When iodine-121 undergoes decay by emitting a positron, it transforms into Tellurium-121. This phenomenon involves the conversion of a proton in the iodine nucleus into a neutron and a positron, leading to a reduction in the atomic number.
As a result, the atomic number of iodine-121 (53) decreases by one to become the atomic number of Tellurium-121 (52), while the mass number remains unchanged at 121.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is Tellurium-121.