Question

Check your answer by turning on show equation and clicking play. modify your equation if necessary. what isotope is produced by the beta decay of carbon-14?

Option 1: Nitrogen-14
Option 2: Oxygen-16
Option 3: Hydrogen-1
Option 4: Uranium-235

Answer 1

Nitrogen-14 is the isotope produced by the beta decay of carbon-14. In this decay, a neutron turns into a proton, increasing the atomic number by one, while the mass number stays the same.

Step-by-step explanation:

The isotope produced by the beta decay of carbon-14 (14C) is nitrogen-14 (14N). In a beta decay process, a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton and an electron, with the electron being emitted as a beta particle. This results in an increase of the atomic number by one while the mass number remains the same since a neutron is converted into a proton. Thus, the nuclear reaction for the beta decay of carbon-14 can be represented as follows:

146C → 147N + -1e (beta particle)

With carbon-14 having an atomic number of 6 (for carbon) and a mass number of 14, after beta decay, we get nitrogen-14 which has an atomic number of 7 (for nitrogen) and the same mass number of 14. The electron (beta particle) is also released in this process.