The nucleus shown undergoes beta-minus decay.
131 53I
How many protons will the nucleus have after it decays?
(1 point)
Responses
54
54
130
130
132
132
52
The nucleus of iodine-131 (I-131) undergoes beta-minus decay, which means a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton. This results in the atomic number (number of protons) increasing by one.
Therefore, after beta-minus decay, the nucleus will have 54 protons.
So the correct answer is:
54
The beta-minus decay involves the conversion of a neutron into a proton. In this decay process, a beta particle (electron) is emitted.
The original nucleus is iodine-131 with 53 protons. During beta-minus decay, one of the neutrons in the nucleus converts into a proton. This means that after the decay, the nucleus will have one more proton than before.
So, the number of protons after the decay will be:
53 protons (original) + 1 proton (from neutron conversion) = 54 protons.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
54.
To determine the number of protons that the nucleus will have after undergoing beta-minus decay, we first need to understand the process of beta decay.
During beta-minus decay, a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton, and an electron (beta particle) and an antineutrino are emitted. This results in an increase in the atomic number (number of protons) of the nucleus.
Given that the nucleus shown is 131 53I, we can determine the number of protons remaining after beta decay by subtracting one from the original atomic number. In this case, the original atomic number is 53, so after beta decay, the nucleus will have 54 protons.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
54