What is beta decay?

Answer 1

Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay. It comes in two "flavors" or types, and they are beta plus decay and beta minus decay. The weak interaction (or weak force, or weak nuclear force) mediates this type of decay, and it allows for a change in the nucleus of an atom. Let's look at the two types.

In beta minus decay, a neutron in an atom's nucleus will be converted into a proton. This happens when one of the down quarks which make up the neutron is converted into an up quark. As the change occurs, an electron will be ejected from the nucleus along with an antineutrino. The transmutation of an atom, an element, will have taken place. The new atom will have an atomic number 1 greater than that of the original element. This is nuclear transmutation. If you're interested in the equation, it looks like this:

n -> p + e- + -ve

In that equation, the symbols are for the neutron, proton, electron and antineutrino, respectively.

In a beta plus decay event, a proton in an atom's nucleus will be converted into a neutron. One of the up quarks in the proton will be converted into a down quark. When this change occurs, a positron will be ejected from the nucleus, along with a neutrino. An atom so affected will have its atomic number go down by 1 and it, too, will have undergone transmutation to a new element. The equation for this reaction looks like this:

p -> n + e+ +ve

In this equation, the symbols are for the proton, neutron, positron and neutrino, respectively.

Use the links below for more information on beta decay and what happens when it occurs.