The yttrium-88 nuclide radioactively decays by electron capture. Write a balanced nuclear chemical equation that describes this process.

Yttrium-88 (88Y) undergoes radioactive decay by electron capture. In this process, a proton in the nucleus captures an electron from the innermost energy level (K-shell) and converts into a neutron.

The balanced nuclear chemical equation for this process is:

88Y + e- -> 88Sr + ν

Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

1. Identify the initial nuclide, which is Yttrium-88 (88Y).

2. In electron capture, an electron (e-) is captured by the nucleus. So, we add an electron on the reactant side.

3. As a result of electron capture, a proton in the Yttrium-88 nucleus is converted into a neutron. This changes the identity of the atom from Yttrium (Z=39) to Strontium (Z=38). The mass number remains the same (A=88) because the total number of protons and neutrons is conserved. So, we write Strontium-88 (88Sr) on the product side.

4. In the process, a neutrino (ν) is also emitted. This is a particle with no charge and virtually no mass. We add this on the product side to balance the equation.

So, the balanced nuclear chemical equation for the electron capture decay of Yttrium-88 is:

88Y + e- -> 88Sr + ν