During the process of nuclear disintegration, when beta particle emission occurs, atomic no. of the atom changes by _ and the mass number changes by _.
Correct answer: B. One unit ; no units
- A. One unit ; one unit
- B. One unit ; no units
- C. No units ; one unit
- D. No units ; no units
Explanation
Option A: This option is incorrect. When a beta particle is emitted, the atomic number of the atom changes by one unit, but the mass number of the atom does not change. Option B: The correct answer is one unit; no units. When a beta particle is emitted, a neutron in the nucleus decays into a proton and an electron. The electron is emitted as a beta particle, and the proton remains in the nucleus. This changes the atomic number of the atom by one unit, since the number of protons is one more than the number of neutrons. The mass number of the atom does not change, since the mass of the electron is very small compared to the mass of the neutron or proton. Option C: This option is incorrect. The atomic number of the atom changes when a beta particle is emitted, so this option cannot be correct. Option D: This option is incorrect. The mass number of the atom changes when a beta particle is emitted, so this option cannot be correct.
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