Radioactive decay (1 Viewer)

[Aclipse]

When uranium - 238 is bombarded with a neutron

it becomes uranium - 239, atomic number 92

It then goes through a beta decay, which means it shoots out an electron

and product is a Neptunium 239 with atomic number 93

So where did that uranium gain an extra proton to become neptunium?

 

[K4M1N3]

I remember doing this in class, but im stil not sure.
I think a neutron becomes a proton, in accordance with quantum theory and the composition of protons and neutrons ie up and down quarks...ask someone who has done quanta to quarks.

EDIT: Neutrons (One Up Quark, Two Down Quarks). One down quark is converted into an up quark thus Neutron -> Proton(Two Up Quarks, One Down Quark)

 

[jamesfirst]

Oh I know this.


you have to know this really important 'formula'... not really formula but an equation:



『 neutron -> proton + electron + antineutrino 』



you know that electron is beta. so when beta (electron) is shot out, the neutron converts into proton


therefore the atomic number increases (which will change the overall element. remember atomic number is what specifies which element it is) but the mass number does not change.


eg: Uranium-238 + neutron bombardment -> Uranium-239 -> Neptunium-239 + beta (electron)

 

[MzG1zi]

just remember that the electron is not emitted from the electron cloud but instead from the nucleus of the atom (like alpha decay)
that way u'll have to remember the formula which shows how an electron is formed, as there are no electrons present in the nucleus of the atom

 

[Aclipse]

isn't quanta to quarks a physics topic?

so a neutron would become a proton...

 

[jamesfirst]

isn't quanta to quarks a physics topic?

so a neutron would become a proton...

Yeah Quanta to Quarks is a physics module so don't worry about it.



Just remember what I've posted. It's useful