When alpha particle captures and electron, then it becomes a

Options

A. helium atom
B. hydrogen atom
C. helium ion
D. hydrogen ion

Answer

To solve the question "When an alpha particle captures an electron, then it becomes a:", we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Nature of an Alpha Particle**:
- An alpha particle is essentially the nucleus of a helium atom. It consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
- Therefore, the charge of an alpha particle is +2 (due to the presence of 2 protons).

2. **Understanding Electron Capture**:
- When an alpha particle captures an electron, it means that it is gaining an electron which has a charge of -1.
- This process will affect the overall charge of the alpha particle.

3. **Calculate the New Charge**:
- The initial charge of the alpha particle is +2.
- After capturing an electron, the new charge will be:
\[ \text{New Charge} = +2 + (-1) = +1 \]

4. **Determine the Resulting Particle**:
- The alpha particle (which is a helium nucleus) now has a charge of +1 and still contains 2 protons (which defines it as helium).
- Since it has 2 protons and 1 electron, it is now a helium ion with a +1 charge.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The final result of the alpha particle capturing an electron is that it becomes a helium ion (He⁺).

### Final Answer:
The correct answer is: Helium ion (He⁺).

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