MHT CET 202622 AprilEvening Shift
- Exam
- MHT CET
- Year
- 2026
- Date
- 22 April
- Shift
- Evening Shift
- Subject
- Physics
- Chapter
- Nuclear Physics
MHT CET 2026 · 22 April · Evening Shift · Physics · Nuclear Physics
For a radioactive nucleus that undergoes β^+ decay, which of the...
For a radioactive nucleus that undergoes decay, which of the following CANNOT occur?
Options
- ANuclei with lower atomic number than that of original nucleus is produced.
- BThe proton is converted to neutron
- CIsobar of original nucleus is produced.
- DIsotope of original nucleus is produced.
Correct answer
D. Isotope of original nucleus is produced.
Step-by-step solution
In decay, a proton inside the nucleus is converted into a neutron, a positron, and an electron neutrino. The nuclear reaction is represented as:
^{A}_{Z}X \rightarrow ^{A}_{Z-1}Y + e^+ + \nu_eZ, so a nucleus with a lower atomic number is produced.
The mass number remains unchanged, meaning the daughter nucleus is an isobar of the original nucleus.
Since the atomic number changes, the daughter nucleus cannot be an isotope of the original nucleus, as isotopes must have the same atomic number.
Answer: Isotope of original nucleus is produced.
^{A}_{Z}X \rightarrow ^{A}_{Z-1}Y + e^+ + \nu_eZ, so a nucleus with a lower atomic number is produced.
The mass number remains unchanged, meaning the daughter nucleus is an isobar of the original nucleus.
Since the atomic number changes, the daughter nucleus cannot be an isotope of the original nucleus, as isotopes must have the same atomic number.
Answer: Isotope of original nucleus is produced.