beta decay

[joshinjosh]

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anyone explain to me why in b- decay, the new atom doesn't have a positive charge. A neutron becomes a proton and an electron, but the electron is released, so I'd assume the new atom must have positive charge

eg.

(234,90)Th -> (234,91)Pa + e-

 

[riverjib]

anyone explain to me why in b- decay, the new atom doesn't have a positive charge. A neutron becomes a proton and an electron, but the electron is released, so I'd assume the new atom must have positive charge

eg.

(234,90)Th -> (234,91)Pa + e-

If there's decay, another particle is created. If an electron (-b particle) is released,there must be a positron (a sub-atomic +b particle, not an atom) to counteract it.