Key Stage 5
Meaning
Beta-minus radiation consists of electrons (β⁻) emitted by unstable neutron-rich nuclei.
About Beta-Minus Radiation
- Beta-minus particles are high-energy, high-speed electrons.
- Stopped by about 5 mm of aluminium.
- Has a range in air of up to a metre.
- Less ionizing than alpha radiation but more ionizing than gamma radiation.
- Beta-Minus radiation is emitted during beta-minus decay when a neutron transmutes into a proton, electron, and antineutrino.
- Beta-minus radiation is used in medical applications and radiometric dating.
Examples
- The decay of carbon-14 to nitrogen-14 emits beta-minus particles.
- Employed in the study of beta decay processes in nuclear physics.