Nuclear decay that produces a daughter atom with the same mass number as the parent atom and an atomic number that is one more than the parent atom.
The type of nuclear decay described here is beta decay.
plus or minus
Beta decay can either be a beta minus (β-) decay, where a neutron in the nucleus turns into a proton, releasing an electron and an antineutrino, or a beta plus (β+) decay, where a proton in the nucleus turns into a neutron, releasing a positron and a neutrino.
The nuclear decay you are referring to is known as beta decay or β-decay. It occurs when an unstable atomic nucleus undergoes a transformation, emitting a beta particle while converting a neutron into a proton. This decay process results in the formation of a daughter atom with the same mass number (total number of protons and neutrons) as the parent atom, but with an atomic number (number of protons) that is one more than the parent atom.
To understand how this process occurs, we need to delve into the structure of an atomic nucleus. An atomic nucleus consists of protons and neutrons bound together by the strong nuclear force. It is the balance between the repulsive electromagnetic force between the positively charged protons and the attractive strong nuclear force that keeps the nucleus stable.
In certain nuclei, however, this balance is disrupted, leading to unstable isotopes. Unstable isotopes have excess neutrons or protons, which can cause the nucleus to be energetically unfavorable. In order to attain a more stable state, these isotopes undergo nuclear decay.
In the case of beta decay, an unstable isotope with excess neutrons emits a beta particle, which is essentially an electron (β-) or a positron (β+). The emission of a beta particle causes one neutron in the nucleus to be converted into a proton. This conversion increases the atomic number by one, while the overall mass number remains the same.
For example, a common radioactive isotope that undergoes beta decay is carbon-14 (14C). Carbon-14 has 6 protons and 8 neutrons, resulting in a mass number of 14. During beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus transforms into a proton, resulting in the formation of nitrogen-14 (14N) with 7 protons and 7 neutrons.
To determine if a specific decay process results in a daughter atom with the same mass number and an atomic number one more than the parent, you can examine the properties of the isotopes involved and their known decay modes. This information can be found in scientific literature, textbooks, or online databases that specialize in nuclear decay data.