difference between beta decay and positron emission

[gooperwooper]

what's the difference?

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[510586]

One loses an electron (beta decay), the other loses a positron (like an electron with a + charge instead of a - charge).

 

[Graffix]

yep! beta emission is the loss of an electron, a beta particle, and results in a neutron being turned into a proton. While positron emission losses a positron and results in a proton being turned into a neutron. So in both cases the atomic mass does not by a significant amount but the atomic number changes in both cases.

 

[gooperwooper]

okay -- strange... I remember chad vids saying the beta decay can mean both loss of electron or loss of a positron (since they're both beta particles).

 

[510586]

okay -- strange... I remember chad vids saying the beta decay can mean both loss of electron or loss of a positron (since they're both beta particles).

In physics and in all the chem problems I've been doing so far, we have always treated beta decay as loss of electron. Lmk if someone says different though

 

[enamel88]

Beta decay: 0/-1B, where neutron ---->proton
positron emission: 0/+1B where proton--->neutron

 

[Graffix]

I misspoke, let me clarify. A beta emission means a beta particle (positive or negative it's still a beta particle) is emitted. A beta particle can either be positively charged (a positron, a type of beta particle) like in positron emission, or it can be negatively charged (an electron, also a type of beta particle) like in electron emission. Both of these are considered a Beta Emission.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_particle

 

[dentsmiley]

The way Chad explained it, a positron is kind of like a subtype of a beta (B).

Beta (B) particle is an electron with a mass # of 0 and an atomic # of -1.
In beta decay/emission, a beta particle aka electron is emitted from the nucleus and it turns a neutron into a proton.

A positron is a positively charged electron, so it has the same mass # as an electron (aka beta), but with a positive charge. So the mass # is 0, but the atomic # is +1.
In postron emission, a positron is emitted from the nucleus and it turns a proton into a neutron.

Hope this helps 🙂.