6. One form of nuclear radiation, beta decay, occurs when a neutron changes into a proton, an clectron, and a neutral particle called an antineutrino: n → p+ +e¯ +Ve, where ve is the symbol for an antincutrino. When this change happens to a neutron within the nucleus of an atom, the proton remains behind in the nucleus while the clectron and neutrino are cjected from the nucleus. The ejected electron is called a beta particle. One nucleus that exhibits beta decay is the isotope of hydrogen ³H, called tritium, whose nucleus consists of one proton (making it hydrogen) and two neutrons (giving tritium an atomic mass m = 3H → ³He + e¯ +Ve- 3u). Tritium is radioactive, and it decays to helium: (a) Is charge conserved in the beta decay process? Explain. (b) Why is the final product a helium atom? Explain. (c) The nuclei of both ³H and ³He have radii of 1.5 x 10–15 m. With what minimum speed must the clectron be cjected if it is to cscape from the nucleus and not fall back?
6. One form of nuclear radiation, beta decay, occurs when a neutron changes into a proton, an clectron, and a neutral particle called an antineutrino: n → p+ +e¯ +Ve, where ve is the symbol for an antincutrino. When this change happens to a neutron within the nucleus of an atom, the proton remains behind in the nucleus while the clectron and neutrino are cjected from the nucleus. The ejected electron is called a beta particle. One nucleus that exhibits beta decay is the isotope of hydrogen ³H, called tritium, whose nucleus consists of one proton (making it hydrogen) and two neutrons (giving tritium an atomic mass m = 3H → ³He + e¯ +Ve- 3u). Tritium is radioactive, and it decays to helium: (a) Is charge conserved in the beta decay process? Explain. (b) Why is the final product a helium atom? Explain. (c) The nuclei of both ³H and ³He have radii of 1.5 x 10–15 m. With what minimum speed must the clectron be cjected if it is to cscape from the nucleus and not fall back?
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