Nuclear Equations

Question 1

A nucleus emits a gamma ray. What happens to the mass number of the atom? How about its charge?

Answer 1

The mass number and the charge remain unchanged

Question 2

In beta-plus decay, will the mass number or the atomic number change? Explain why

Answer 2

The atomic number decreases by 1 because the nucleus has one less proton. This proton changes into a neutron and a positron, so the mass number doesn’t change.

Question 3

Explain how this nuclear equation shows that a neutron has been converted to a proton during the decay.

Answer 3

The proton number has increased, but the mass number hasn’t changed. A neutron must have become a proton during the decay.