Question

What element does carbon-14 become after undergoing beta decay?

Answer 1

`""_6^14C` becomes `""_7^14N`. One more proton makes carbon, `C`, into nitrogen, `N`. The total number of nucleons (protons plus neutrons) remains the same.

Explanation:

Beta decay occurs when a neutron becomes a proton and an electron.

`""_0^1n to ""_1^1p + ""_(-1)^0e^-`

The electron is emitted as a beta particle, the proton remains in the nucleus.