A nucleus AXZ undergoes beta minus (β-) decay. What will happen to the atomic number of AXZ ?
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A.
It will increase by
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B.
It will decrease by 2.
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C.
It will remain unchanged.
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D.
It will increase by 1.
Correct Answer:
D. It will increase by 1.
Explanation:
During beta minus (ß-) decay, a neutron within the nucleus is transformed into a proton while emitting an electron and an antineutrino. This conversion increases the total number of protons in the nucleus by one, thereby raising the atomic number by one. Although the atomic number changes, the mass number remains constant because the total number of nucleons does not change. Therefore, the resulting daughter element occupies the next position in the periodic table.
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