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What is the effect of alpha decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number decreases by 2.
What is the effect of beta-minus decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number increases by 1.
What is the effect of beta-plus decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number decreases by 1.
What is the effect of gamma decay on the atomic and mass number?
Both the atomic number and mass number remain unchanged.
What causes a nucleus to undergo radioactive decay?
An unstable neutron-to-proton ratio within the nucleus.
What is the effect of emitting an alpha particle?
The mass number of the atom decreases by 4.
What is the effect of alpha decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number decreases by 2.
What is the effect of beta-minus decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number increases by 1.
What is the effect of beta-plus decay on the atomic number?
The atomic number decreases by 1.
What is the effect of gamma decay on the atomic and mass numbers?
Both the atomic number and mass number remain unchanged.
What causes a nucleus to undergo radioactive decay?
An unstable neutron-to-proton ratio within the nucleus.
What is the effect of emitting an alpha particle?
The nucleus becomes more stable, with a reduced mass and atomic number.
Compare and contrast beta-minus and beta-plus decay.
Beta-minus: Neutron transforms into a proton, emits electron and antineutrino. | Beta-plus: Proton transforms into a neutron, emits positron and neutrino.
What are the key differences between alpha and beta decay?
Alpha: Emission of a helium nucleus, changes mass and atomic number significantly. | Beta: Emission of an electron or positron, changes only atomic number.
Compare neutrinos and antineutrinos.
Neutrinos: Emitted in beta-plus decay. | Antineutrinos: Emitted in beta-minus decay. Both are electrically neutral and have nearly zero mass.
Compare alpha particle and gamma ray.
Alpha particle: Consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons, has mass and charge. | Gamma ray: Is a high-energy photon, massless and chargeless.
Compare electron and positron.
Electron: negatively charged particle emitted in beta-minus decay. | Positron: positively charged particle emitted in beta-plus decay.