2269 Views

guys pls tell me why the mass number do not change during beta decay even though there is change in atomic number of daughter nuclei??


naiksavitri123 19th May, 2020
Answer (1)
Akram Khan 19th May, 2020

Hi,

The mass number of an atom is the total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.

And the atomic number is number of protons found in the nucleus.

There are two types of beta decay-

) decay -a neutron is converted to a proton, and electronis created.

beta plus (β + ) decay - a proton is converted to a neutron and the process creates a positron and an electron neutrino.

Now understand what happens in beta minus decay-

Suppose carbon 14 is converted to nitrogen 14 in the beta decay. The mass number is same of both i.e 14 but the atomic number increases by one in case of nitrogen. As it is an example of beta minus decay what happens here is neutron is converted into proton so we have mass number (proton +neutron) same. But the atomic number (number of proton) get increased by one.


Hope you find it helpful.

Related Questions

Amity University, Noida Law A...
Apply
700+ Campus placements at top national and global law firms, corporates and judiciaries
Nirma University Law Admissio...
Apply
Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
Amity University Noida B.Tech...
Apply
Among Top 30 National Universities for Engineering (NIRF 2024) | 30+ Specializations | AI Powered Learning & State-of-the-Art Facilities
IMT Ghaziabad PGDM Admissions...
Apply
AACSB, NBA & SAQS Accredited | H-CTC 41.55 LPA | Merit Based Scholarship
Amity University, Noida BBA A...
Apply
Ranked amongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings)
MAHE Online MBA
Apply
Apply for Online MBA from Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)
View All Application Forms

Download the Careers360 App on your Android phone

Regular exam updates, QnA, Predictors, College Applications & E-books now on your Mobile

150M+ Students
30,000+ Colleges
500+ Exams
1500+ E-books