A student claims that the equation models beta-minus decay because the atomic number of the nucleus decreases by one. In one or two sentences, explain the error in the student’s reasoning.
The error in the student's reasoning is that the decrease in atomic number does not necessarily imply beta-minus decay, as beta-plus decay also results in a decrease in atomic number by one.
The student's reasoning is incorrect because in beta-minus decay, the atomic number increases by one due to the emission of an electron (beta particle) from the nucleus, not decreases.
The error in the student's reasoning is that the equation alone does not provide sufficient information about the process of beta-minus decay, as it only represents the change in atomic numbers of the reactant and product nuclei, but does not explain the underlying mechanism of the decay, which involves the conversion of a neutron into a proton, resulting in the emission of an electron and an antineutrino.
