In balancing the nuclear reaction C → E + e, the identity of element E is __________.

Question

In balancing the nuclear reaction  C → E +  e, the identity of element E is __________.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the nuclear reaction, a carbon atom (11 C) is undergoing beta-minus decay, which means it is emitting an electron (11 e) from its nucleus. The atomic number of the element E must be one greater (since the carbon atom is losing a negative charge) than that of carbon, which is 6. Therefore, the best choice for E is nitrogen (N), which has an atomic number of 7.

In Balancing the Nuclear Reaction C → E