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Beta Decay definitions

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  • Beta Decay
    A process where an unstable nucleus releases a beta particle, changing its atomic number but not its atomic mass.
  • Beta Particle
    A subatomic particle identical to an electron, emitted from a nucleus during radioactive transformation.
  • Electron
    A negatively charged subatomic particle with negligible mass, represented by atomic number -1 in nuclear equations.
  • Atomic Mass
    The total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus, remaining unchanged during beta decay.
  • Atomic Number
    A value indicating the number of protons in a nucleus, which increases by one after beta emission.
  • Nucleus
    The dense central region of an atom where beta decay originates, containing protons and neutrons.
  • Radioactive Particle
    A general term for particles, such as alpha or beta, emitted during nuclear transformations.
  • Alpha Particle
    A large, highly ionizing radioactive particle, more damaging but less penetrating than a beta particle.
  • Ionizing Power
    A measure of a particle's ability to remove electrons from atoms, lower for beta particles than for alpha particles.
  • Penetrating Power
    A property describing how deeply a particle can pass through materials, higher for beta particles than for alpha particles.
  • Nuclear Equation
    A symbolic representation showing the balance of atomic numbers and masses before and after a nuclear event.
  • Product
    A substance or particle that appears on the right side of a nuclear equation, such as a beta particle in beta emission.
  • Reactant
    A substance or particle present on the left side of a nuclear equation, involved before the transformation.
  • Periodic Table
    A chart organizing elements by atomic number, used to identify elements formed during nuclear changes.
  • Thallium-201
    An isotope formed when mercury-201 undergoes beta decay, having an atomic number one greater than mercury.