BRAINCAKEBeta-Minus Decay and Quarks
In beta-minus (β−) decay a neutron in a neutron-rich nucleus changes into a proton. An electron and an electron antineutrino are emitted:
n → p + e− + νe
The neutron is udd and the proton is uud, so at quark level one down quark changes into an up quark:
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Key terms in this lesson
- weak interaction
- The fundamental interaction responsible for beta decay, which can change the flavour of a quark and has a very short range.
More in Fundamental Particles
- Hadrons and Leptons
- The Strong Nuclear Force
- Quarks and Antiquarks
- Quark Composition of Protons and Neutrons
- Baryons and Mesons
- Beta-Plus Decay and Quarks
- The Weak Interaction
- Conservation of Charge, Baryon Number and Lepton Number
All 11 lessons in Fundamental Particles · All OCR A-level Physics topics