A radioactive nucleus emits a beta-minus particle. What happens to its atomic number?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. It increases by 1
- Step 1: In beta-minus decay a neutron changes into a proton and an electron, and the electron is emitted. Step 2. The nucleus gains one proton, so the atomic number goes up by 1 while the mass number stays the same. Answer: It increases by 1. Why not the others: A decrease of 2 happens in alpha decay, a decrease of 1 happens in beta-plus decay, and the atomic number stays the same in gamma emission.
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