Question

a scientist is studying a nuclear reaction similar to the one in the passage. he finds that the atomic mass of the reactant does not change, but its atomic number decreases by one. this type of nuclear reaction is best described as

Answer 1

Answer: a beta decay.

Explanation: In beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom decays into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. The proton remains in the nucleus, while the electron and antineutrino are emitted. This process results in a decrease in the atomic number of the atom by one, as the number of protons in the nucleus decreases by one. The atomic mass of the atom remains unchanged, as the mass of the proton and the mass of the neutron are nearly equal. Beta decay is one of the three types of radioactive decay, along with alpha decay and gamma decay.