Question

Question

How does the nucleus change in beta-plus decay?(1 point)
Responses

The mass number increases by one, and the atomic number remains the same.
The mass number increases by one, and the atomic number remains the same.

The mass number remains the same, and the atomic number decreases by one.
The mass number remains the same, and the atomic number decreases by one.

The mass number decreases by one, and the atomic number remains the same.
The mass number decreases by one, and the atomic number remains the same.

The mass number remains the same, and the atomic number increases by one.
The mass number remains the same, and the atomic number increases by one.

Answer 1

In beta-plus decay (also known as positron emission), the nucleus undergoes a transformation in which a proton is converted into a neutron, emitting a positron and a neutrino in the process.

In this type of decay:

• The mass number remains the same (since the total number of nucleons—protons plus neutrons—does not change).
• The atomic number decreases by one (since there is one less proton in the nucleus).

Therefore, the correct response is:

The mass number remains the same, and the atomic number decreases by one.