In beta decay, why does the atomic number increase by 1?
A neutron, in simple terms, becomes an electron and a proton. So the mass stays essentially the same, the number of protons increase by 1 which means the atomic number increases by 1, and the electron is ejected.
In beta decay, the atomic number increases by 1 because a neutron in the nucleus of an atom converts into a proton. This process is known as beta minus decay. Here's an explanation of how it works:
Inside the nucleus of an atom, there are protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons have no charge (they are neutral). The number of protons in an atom determines its atomic number, which identifies the element. For example, if an atom has 6 protons, it is carbon.
During beta decay, a neutron within the nucleus is transformed into a proton by emitting an electron and an antineutrino. The emitted electron is known as a beta particle, and the antineutrino is an elementary particle that carries away some energy and angular momentum.
The conversion of a neutron (which has no charge) into a proton (which has a positive charge) increases the overall positive charge of the nucleus, hence increasing the atomic number of the atom. Therefore, the atom undergoes a change in its identity and belongs to a different element.
It's important to note that beta decay is just one type of radioactive decay, and there are other processes that can occur, such as alpha decay or positron emission, which result in different changes to the atomic number.