Radioactive Decay Flashcards
When are nuclei stable?
If there is a certain amount of neutrons for the amount of protons it has
What are the properties of an unstable nuclei?
Having too many or too few neutrons
What happens to an unstable nuclei?
It will decay by emitting radiation
How can an unstable nucleus decay?
By emitting an alpha particle, beta particle, a gamma grey or even a single neutron
If the nucleus has too few neutrons how does alpha radiation occur?
It will admit a package of two protons and two neutrons called an alpha particle
What does alpha decay do to the mass number and the atomic number of the nucleus?
It decreases the mass number by four and the atomic number by two
What happens if the nucleus has too many neutrons?
A neutron will turn into a proton and admit a fast moving electron called a beta particle.
This is known as beta radiation
What does beta decay do to the atomic number and mass number of the nucleus?
