Question

What are the five types of radioactive decay?

Answer 1

Radioactive decay

1. It is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.
2. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered to be radioactive.

The five types of radioactive decay are:

(1). $\alpha$-decay (alpha-decay)

1. It occurs when a nucleus ejects an alpha particle.
2. The equation of alpha decay is ${}_Z{}^{A}X\mathit{}\to {}_{Z-2}{}^{A-4}\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{}_2{}^4\mathrm{\alpha }$

(2). $\beta$-decay (beta-decay)

1. It is of two types: beta-plus and beta-minus decay.
2. beta-plus decay - This happens when the nucleus emits a positron and a neutrino in a process of changing proton to neutron, also called positron emission
3. ${}_Z{}^{A}X\mathit{}\to {}_{Z\mathit{-}1}{}^A\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{}_{+1}{}^0\mathrm{\beta }$
4. beta-minus decay - This happens when the nucleus emits a positron and a neutrino in the process of changing a neutron to proton.
5. ${}_Z{}^{A}X\mathit{}\to {}_{Z+1}{}^A\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{}_{-1}{}^0\mathrm{\beta }$

(3). $\gamma$-decay (gamma-decay)

1. In gamma-decay, a radioactive nucleus first decays by the emission of an alpha or beta particle.
2. The daughter nuclei so formed is usually in an excited state and can decay further to a lower energy state by emitting a gamma ray photon.
3. ${}_Z{}^{A}X\mathit{*}\mathit{}\stackrel{\mathit{r}\mathit{e}\mathit{l}\mathit{a}\mathit{x}\mathit{a}\mathit{t}\mathit{i}\mathit{o}\mathit{n}}{\mathit{\to }}{}_Z{}^A\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{}_0{}^0\mathrm{\gamma }$

(4). Neutron emission

1. In neutron emission, an extremely neutron rich nuclei formed due to other types of decay or after many successive neutron captures, occasionally lose energy by emitting neutron, in result it changes from one isotope to another of the same element.
2. ${}_{\mathrm{X}+\mathrm{Y}}{}^{\mathrm{A}+\mathrm{B}+\mathrm{C}}\mathrm{X}\to {}_{\mathrm{Z}}{}^{\mathrm{A}}\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{}_{\mathrm{Y}}{}^{\mathrm{B}}\mathrm{X}\text{'}+{\mathrm{C}}_0^1\mathrm{n}$

(5). Electron capture

1. In electron capture, the nucleus captures an orbiting electron causing a proton to convert to neutron.
2. In this process, a neutrino and gamma ray are subsequently emitted.
3. ${}_{\mathrm{Z}}{}^{\mathrm{A}}X+{}_{-1}{}^{0}e\to {}_{Z\mathit{-}1}{}^A\mathrm{X}\text{'}+\mathrm{X}\mathrm{ray}$