What is the difference between electron capture and beta emission?
I am currently taking chemistry and am wondering how to identify the difference between electron capture and beta emission. please help!
Okay these are types of radioactive decay.
Radioactive decay means atoms spontaneously break apart.
Beta emission is the expulsion of an electron. A beta particle is an electron.
The important thing to note is that first the electron is created along with a new proton from a neutron
Beta particle denoted 0/-1 e
So if an isotope has too many neutrons it may seek to convert a neutron to a proton via beta decay.
So looking at a typical beta emission
210/82 Po —–> 0/-1 Beta Particle (Electron) + 210/83 Bi
Note that although a neutron was turned into a proton and electron. The atomic mass did not change because the electron is treated as almost having no mass (hence the zero in 0/-1)
And note that a proton increased the atomic number there by changing the element.
So beta emission is basically expulsion of a electron (which is created from a neutron.. also a proton is created added to the nucleus).
Electron capture is the capture of an electron along with merging the electron (that is captured) with a proton to form a neutron.
so you’ll find the electron on the "reactants side"
201/80 Hg + 0/-1 e —–> 201/79 Au
Sometimes gamma rays (which have no mass and no charge and does nothing to change the identity) can be released in an electron capture
Note that when the electron is captured it combines with a proton (Thus the atomic number decreases by one)
Also note that since the proton + electron is converted into a neutron. the electron is considered almost negligible mass and thus does not add any atomic mass as you can see in my example. But you can see that the atomic number decreased by one.
Okay these are types of radioactive decay.
Radioactive decay means atoms spontaneously break apart.
Beta emission is the expulsion of an electron. A beta particle is an electron.
The important thing to note is that first the electron is created along with a new proton from a neutron
Beta particle denoted 0/-1 e
So if an isotope has too many neutrons it may seek to convert a neutron to a proton via beta decay.
So looking at a typical beta emission
210/82 Po —–> 0/-1 Beta Particle (Electron) + 210/83 Bi
Note that although a neutron was turned into a proton and electron. The atomic mass did not change because the electron is treated as almost having no mass (hence the zero in 0/-1)
And note that a proton increased the atomic number there by changing the element.
So beta emission is basically expulsion of a electron (which is created from a neutron.. also a proton is created added to the nucleus).
Electron capture is the capture of an electron along with merging the electron (that is captured) with a proton to form a neutron.
so you’ll find the electron on the "reactants side"
201/80 Hg + 0/-1 e —–> 201/79 Au
Sometimes gamma rays (which have no mass and no charge and does nothing to change the identity) can be released in an electron capture
Note that when the electron is captured it combines with a proton (Thus the atomic number decreases by one)
Also note that since the proton + electron is converted into a neutron. the electron is considered almost negligible mass and thus does not add any atomic mass as you can see in my example. But you can see that the atomic number decreased by one.
References :
If you think about it electron capture and beta emission are essentially opposite in how they work
BTW 201/79 DENOTES atomic mass/atomic # which is standard convention.