The different types of radioactive decay Flashcards
What is an alpha decay?
In alpha decay, the nucleus emits an alpha particle, or a particle containing two protons and two neutrons. The nucleus is said to decay, or change into one that is a little lighter, one with four less particles.
What is Beta Decay?
Beta Decays are a loss of an electron in the nucleus. This happens because a neutron becomes a proton and releases an electron. This means that the atomic number increases by one and the mass number remains the same.
What is gamma Decay?
Gamma decay is a radioactive process in which an atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting a gamma ray (a stream of high-energy photons). When an element undergoes gamma decay its atomic number and mass number do not change.
What is nuclear notation?
The Nuclear notation showcases the chemical symbol of the atom, the atomic number (This signifies the number of protons in the element), and the atomic mass (This signifies the number of protons and neutrons in the element.) of the isotope (Isotopes are versions of the atom with extra neutrons in them)
