Question

A carbon atom decays into a nitrogen atom in the equation below.
${}_6^{14}C\to {}_7^{14}N+$Y
Find out the missing quantity Y?

• A. Alpha
• B. Beta
• C. Gamma
• D. Neutron
• E. Neutrino

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Beta

Let A be the mass number and Z be the protons number of Y.

From mass number conservation, $14=14+A$ or $A=0$ and

from protons number conservation, $6=7+Z$ or $Z=-1$

The unknown quantity will be ${}_{-1}^{0}e$ i.e beta particle.