Identify the element formed when decays by electron capture.

Question

Identify the element formed when  decays by electron capture.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When 11eb6c44_580d_d778_8d9d_fdc871e2b275_TB8310_11 undergoes electron capture, a proton in the nucleus interacts with an electron from the inner shell, forming a neutron and a neutrino. This changes the atomic number of the nucleus, but not the mass number. Therefore, the resulting element will have the same mass number as the original, but one less atomic number.

Looking at the answer choices, we can see that B is the only option that has one less atomic number than 11eb6c44_580d_d778_8d9d_fdc871e2b275_TB8310_11. The other options have atomic numbers that differ by more than one from the original, which is not possible in electron capture.

Identify the Element Formed When Decays by Electron Capture