Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32162-592-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-32162-592-2

Chapter 30 - Nuclear Physics and Radioactivity - Search and Learn - Page 884: 5

Answer

See answers. There are 2 ways to tell.

Work Step by Step

There are 2 ways to tell. a. Elemental conversion. In internal conversion, the atom ejects an orbital electron. The atomic number of the nucleus stays the same. In $\beta$ decay, the nucleus emits an electron while a neutron changes into a proton. The atomic number of the nucleus increases by one, and the atom is now different. b. The continuous vs. quantized energy of the emitted electron. In $\beta$ decay, a neutrino is emitted along with the electron, so there are three decay products. The neutrino shares the released energy with the electron, so the momentum and energy of the $\beta$ particle has a continuous range of values. In contrast, the internal conversion process has two decay products, not three. The emitted electron has a unique energy (that depends on its starting energy level).
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