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What change takes place in the nucleus of an atom when beta decay occurs? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question c - 2015
Question c
What change takes place in the nucleus of an atom when beta decay occurs?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:What change takes place in the nucleus of an atom when beta decay occurs? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question c - 2015
Step 1
What change takes place in the nucleus of an atom when beta decay occurs?
Answer
During beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom transforms into a proton. This process can be represented by the equation:
}$$ Here, $n$ represents a neutron, $p$ a proton, $e^-$ an emitted electron (also known as a beta particle), and $\bar{ }$ represents an antineutrino that is also released in the process. As a result of this transformation, the atomic number of the atom increases by one, while the mass number remains unchanged. This change leads to the formation of a new element as the proton number has increased.