Question

When a beta particle is released from the nucleus of an atom:

a. the number of electrons in the atom decreases by one

b. the number of electrons in the atom increases by one as the beta particle leaves the nucleus and joins the valence electrons

c. the mass number of the atom remains the same

d. the mass number of the atom decreases

Answer 1

Answer: c. the mass number of the atom remains the same

Step-by-step explanation:

General representation of an element is given as:
`_Z^A\textrm{X}` where,

Z represents Atomic number

A represents Mass number

X represents the symbol of an element

Beta-decay: In this process, a neutron gets converted into a proton and an electron releasing a beta-particle. The beta particle released carries a charge of -1 units. Thus the number of electrons

`_Z^A\textrm{X}\rightarrow _(Z+1)^A\textrm{Y}+_(-1)^0\beta`

Answer 2

When a beta particle is emitted from the nucleus the nucleus has one more proton and one less neutron. This means the atomic mass number remains unchanged and the atomic number increases by 1.
Best answer :
b. the number of electrons in the atom increases by one as the beta particle leaves the nucleus and joins the valence electrons