Calculate Max Kinetic Energy of Neutron in MeV, Physics Book Error?

[Ry122]

I think there was a an error made in my physics book.
It says alpha particles are fired at beyllium nuclei to induce the reaction
Be He C + n
Calculate the maximum kinetic energy of the neutron in MeV.
Im guessing it means Be + He = C + n
This makes the atomic numbers and mass numbers on the left equal to the ones on the right side. I am unsure if this is correct through because isn't the left side only supposed to have the atom that was fired at?

 

[mgb_phys]

The left side is what you start with, the right side is what it turns into.
SO Be + He = C + n is correct.
If you should write He as a chemical reaction for a process involving an alpha particle is probably something for the chemists to argue about.