When an atom undergoes a beta decay, the atomic number of the nucleus
Answer Details
When an atom undergoes a beta decay, the atomic number of the nucleus increases by one. This is because in beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus decays into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. The proton remains in the nucleus and increases the atomic number, while the electron and antineutrino are emitted from the nucleus. So, the number of protons in the nucleus increases by one, which means the atomic number increases by one.