Beta Decay Flashcards

All 3 cards in this deck

Describe what happens in the nucleus during beta-minus decay.

A neutron becomes a proton plus an electron ($n \rightarrow p$), and the electron is emitted as the beta particle.

Describe what happens in the nucleus when a positron is emitted.

A proton becomes a neutron ($p \rightarrow n$), and a positron is emitted.

True or false? In beta-minus decay the electron emitted comes from one of the atom's electron shells.

False. The electron is created in the nucleus when a neutron becomes a proton.