In 2006, an ex-KGB agent was murdered in London. The investigation following the agent’s d...

In 2006, an ex-KGB agent was murdered in London. The investigation following the agent’s death revealed that he was poisoned with the radioactive isotope 210Po, which had apparently been added to his food. (a) 2l0Po is prepared by bombarding 209Bi with neutrons. Write an equation for the reaction. (b) The half-life of 210Po is 138 days. It decays by α-particle emission. Write the equation for the decay process. (c) Calculate the energy of an emitted α particle. Assume both the parent and daughter nuclei have zero kinetic energy. The atomic masses of 210Po, 206Pb, and  are 209.98286, 205.97444, and 4.00150 amu, respectively. (d) Ingestion of 1 μg of 210Po could prove fatal. What is the total energy released by this quantity of 210Po over the course of 138 days?