Beta Decay Flashcards

All 3 cards in this deck

What is a beta-minus ($\beta^-$) particle?

An electron emitted from the nucleus.

Describe what happens inside the nucleus in $\beta^-$ decay.

A neutron changes into a proton plus an electron, and the electron is emitted.

Describe what happens inside the nucleus in $\beta^+$ decay.

A proton changes into a neutron plus a positron, and the positron is emitted.