The gold leaf experiment is set up and the atoms are shown with electron shells. What type of paths do most of the alpha particles take?

since the atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, as we move to the left on the periodic table, the electrostatic pull between the nucleus and the valence electron shell decreases. as we move down a group (vertical column), the valence shell energy level gets further and further from the nucleus.

considering the question as per the attachment

here we can see that the radon nuclide has 222 as the atomic mass number and 86 as the atomic number.

when it undergoes nuclear fission it gives polonium which has atomic mass number as 218 and atomic number will be 84 along with a helium nucleus which has 4 atomic mass number and 2 as its atomic number.

222 = 218 + 4 (atomic mass number)

86 = ? + 2; therefore ? = 86-2 = 84.

the atomic mass number of polonium will be 84.