Beta decay

Beta decay is radioactive transformation in which a neutron becomes a proton or a proton becomes a neutron, emitting an electron or positron and a neutrino or antineutrino.

Beta-minus decay: A neutron transforms into a proton, emitting an electron and an electron antineutrino. This is the neutron-to-proton branch of beta decay.
Atomic nucleus: The dense central part of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons. Beta decay changes the composition of this bound system.
Beta particle: An electron or positron emitted during radioactive decay. The emitted charged particle gave this decay mode its name.
Radiometric dating: A method of determining age by measuring radioactive decay in a material. Beta-emitting isotopes such as carbon-14 make some dating methods possible.
Alpha decay: Radioactive decay in which a nucleus emits a helium-4 nucleus. Unlike beta decay, it ejects a cluster of nucleons rather than changing one nucleon's identity.
Beta-plus decay: A proton transforms into a neutron, emitting a positron and an electron neutrino. This is the proton-to-neutron branch of beta decay.
Neutron: A neutral subatomic particle found in atomic nuclei and composed of three quarks. Its conversion into a proton defines beta-minus decay.
Radioactive decay: The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a more stable configuration. Beta decay is one of its principal decay modes.
Carbon-14 dating: A method for estimating the age of once-living materials from their carbon-14 content. It relies on the beta decay of carbon-14 into nitrogen-14.
Gamma decay: A nuclear transition that emits a photon without changing the numbers of protons or neutrons. It releases nuclear energy but does not convert a neutron and proton.

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