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Name: Unknown
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Around 1993
Question:
When an atom undergoes beta decay, it kicks out what is essentially an electron, and leaves a proton in the nucleus, causing the atomic number to increase by one. However, there is now an imbalance between the number of shell electrons, and protons. Is the "atom" left after beta decay an ion, or does something else happen that I am missing?


Replies:
You are right, it is a positive ion, unless the beta particle is emitted with a low enough energy that it is captured by the ion.

John Hawley


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