nucleus of oxygen-15 undergoes electron capture. Write out the reaction equation and determine the identity of the daughter nucleus
To write out the reaction equation and determine the identity of the daughter nucleus, we need to understand the process of electron capture.
In electron capture, the nucleus of an atom captures an electron from its inner electron shell. This capture causes a proton in the nucleus to convert into a neutron, resulting in a decrease in the atomic number. This process occurs when the proton-to-neutron ratio is not favorable, and capturing an electron allows the atom to become more stable.
For the nucleus of oxygen-15 (15O) undergoing electron capture, we need to write the reaction equation. The atomic number of oxygen is 8, and oxygen-15 has a total of 15 nucleons (protons + neutrons).
The reaction equation for electron capture in oxygen-15 can be written as:
^15O + e⁻ → ^15N
In this equation, the electron (e⁻) is captured by the oxygen-15 nucleus (^15O), converting it into a new nucleus, which is nitrogen-15 (^15N).
Therefore, the identity of the daughter nucleus is nitrogen-15 (^15N).