When two negative beta particles are emitted from a nucleus, then the mass number:
Correct answer: A. No change
- A. No change
- B. Increases by 1
- C. Increases by 2
- D. Increases by 3
Explanation
No change - Correct: Beta decay occurs when a neutron converts into a proton and an electron (beta particle). While the atomic number increases by 1 per beta emission, the mass number remains unchanged since a neutron is simply replaced by a proton. Emitting two beta particles means two neutrons have turned into protons, but the total nucleon count (mass number) stays the same.
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