When a radioactive substance undergoes a beta decay, its
Question 1 Report
When a radioactive substance undergoes a beta decay, its
Answer Details
When a radioactive substance undergoes a beta decay, its "atomic number increases by 1".
Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle (an electron) is emitted from the nucleus of an atom. During beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of the atom is converted into a proton, and an electron is emitted from the nucleus.
Since the neutron is converted into a proton, the atomic number of the nucleus increases by 1, since the atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus. However, the mass number (the sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus) remains the same, since only one subatomic particle (the neutron) has been converted into another (the proton and electron).
In summary, when a radioactive substance undergoes a beta decay, its "atomic number increases by 1". This is because a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton during beta decay, increasing the number of protons in the nucleus, which is equal to the atomic number.
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