Beta-plus decay
What Beta-plus decay means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of Beta-plus decay
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Reference: AQA
A proton changes into a neutron, so Z decreases by 1 and N increases by 1 while A stays constant; a positron and a neutrino are emitted.
A proton changing into a neutron, emitting a positron and a neutrino, decreasing proton number by 1 while nucleon number stays the same.
A proton changes into a neutron, emitting a positron and a neutrino, so proton number decreases by 1 and nucleon number is unchanged.
The decay, along with electron capture, that proton-rich nuclei below the band tend to undergo.
Topics that use Beta-plus decay
- Nuclear instability (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Stable and unstable nuclei (AQA A-Level)
- Radioactivity (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Beta-minus 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-plus decay in the exam
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