Question

What happens to the atomic number of an atom when a beta particle is emitted?

a.) Atomic number remains the same.
b.) It increases by one.
c.) It decreases by two.
d.) It decreases by one.

Answer 1

i think beta decay means flow of electron. and atomic number of an atom is just number of protons in that atom

Answer 2

so number of protons will b unchanged by beta decay

Answer 3

a

Answer 4

Beta decay involves the emission of either an electron and an electron antineutrino or positron and an electron neutrino from the nucleus. In the first case the atomic number increases by one, and in the second case the atomic number decreases by one.

Note however that a lot of folks are only taught the first type of beta decay--electron and electron antineutrino--so if you're only allowed to choose one answer, the answer would be b. If you can choose two answers, they would be b and d.