In beta minus decay, what is emitted when a neutron becomes a proton?

In beta minus decay, what is emitted when a neutron becomes a proton?

• A. Electron
• B. Neutrino
• C. Photon
• D. Proton

Answer: (A)

Beta minus decay involves a neutron turning into a proton through the weak interaction, and it releases a beta particle—the electron—along with an electron antineutrino. The emitted electron carries away the negative charge and part of the energy, leaving the nucleus with one more proton. A photon isn’t emitted in this process, and the nucleus’s transformation into a proton isn’t the emission of a separate proton particle. The accompanying neutrino is specifically an electron antineutrino, not just any neutrino. So the emitted charged particle described in the scenario is the electron.

Beta minus decay involves a neutron turning into a proton through the weak interaction, and it releases a beta particle—the electron—along with an electron antineutrino. The emitted electron carries away the negative charge and part of the energy, leaving the nucleus with one more proton. A photon isn’t emitted in this process, and the nucleus’s transformation into a proton isn’t the emission of a separate proton particle. The accompanying neutrino is specifically an electron antineutrino, not just any neutrino. So the emitted charged particle described in the scenario is the electron.