Beta particles from various radioactive sources have _____?

CONCEPT:

• Beta particles (β) are high energy, high-speed electrons (β^-) or positrons (β⁺) that are ejected from the nucleus by some radionuclides during a form of radioactive decay called beta-decay. Beta-decay normally occurs in nuclei that have too many neutrons to achieve stability.

• Beta Decay: The radioactive decay in which the parent nucleus emits an electron and an antineutrino and converts a neutron to a proton.

The equation for β-decay is given by:

 \(_{Z}^{A}\textrm{X}\rightarrow _{Z+1}^{A}\textrm{Y}+e^{-} +\bar{\nu }\)

Where X is the parent nucleus, Y is the daughter nucleus, A is the atomic mass, Z is the atomic number, e- is the electron, \(\bar\nu\) is the antineutrino.

• Radioactive sources: A radioactive source is a known quantity of radionuclide which emits ionizing radiation; typically one or more of the radiation types gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutron radiation.

EXPLANATION:

• Beta particles are high energy electrons.
• Beta particles are negatively charged.
• They are deflected much more than the heavier alpha particles due to this charge to mass density and have the same deflection in all cases.