Beta-minus decay
What Beta-minus decay means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of Beta-minus decay
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Reference: AQA
A neutron changes into a proton, so Z increases by 1 and N decreases by 1 while A stays constant; an electron and an antineutrino are emitted.
A neutron changing into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino, increasing proton number by 1 while nucleon number stays the same.
A neutron changes into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino, so proton number increases by 1 and nucleon number is unchanged.
The decay that neutron-rich nuclei above the band tend to undergo.
Topics that use Beta-minus decay
- Nuclear instability (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Stable and unstable nuclei (AQA A-Level)
- Radioactivity (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Beta-plus decay
- Alpha decay
- Absorber
- Alpha emission
- Binding and saturation of the strong force
- Carbon-14 and half-life
- Conservation laws
- Conservation of charge
Using Beta-minus decay in the exam
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