- #1
doublemint
- 141
- 0
I am not quite sure why there are only four types of decays, alpha, beta plus and minus, and electron capture.
I know that heavy nuclides undergo alpha decay because it is a fast way to loose 2 protons and 2 neutrons, also that the alpha particle is very stable.
For beta plus and minus, and electron capture, I was told that it was to maintain the belt of stability on the chart of nuclides.
The above explanations do not feel "complete" to me. For example, why does it have to be alpha decay? Can't the atom spit out something so that it will just drop to a stable state?
This website, http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/decayseries.htm, talks about dividing the mass nuclide by 4 and you would get remainders 0,1,2, and 3. I don't understand how this is related.
DM
I know that heavy nuclides undergo alpha decay because it is a fast way to loose 2 protons and 2 neutrons, also that the alpha particle is very stable.
For beta plus and minus, and electron capture, I was told that it was to maintain the belt of stability on the chart of nuclides.
The above explanations do not feel "complete" to me. For example, why does it have to be alpha decay? Can't the atom spit out something so that it will just drop to a stable state?
This website, http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/decayseries.htm, talks about dividing the mass nuclide by 4 and you would get remainders 0,1,2, and 3. I don't understand how this is related.
DM