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Ch.20 - Nuclear Chemistry

Chapter 20, Problem 28

Why does beta emission raise the atomic number of the product while positron emission lowers. the atomic number?

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Hello everyone today. We have the following problem when an isotope undergoes a beta emission, what is the change in the atomic mass and atomic number? So beta decay or beta emission is represented by the following. We're gonna have our elemental symbol X. We're gonna have our atomic mass and atomic number Z. Then we're gonna show a reaction arrow and we're going to show our mass here With our atomic number. However, this is going to be plus one and this y is going to be a new symbol and then we're going to add an electron and this is gonna be known as a beta emission. And so as we can see our change in our atomic mass or a It's going to be zero. But a change In our atomic number, or Z. It's going to be plus one. And so these are gonna be the following changes that occur during beta emission. And with that, we have answered the question overall, I hope this helped. And until next time.