Answer :
To write the equation for the beta decay of Cerium-141 (Ce-141), let's first understand what happens during beta decay:
In beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus is transformed into a proton, and a beta particle (which is essentially an electron) is emitted from the nucleus. This process increases the atomic number by 1 because a neutron changes into a proton, but the mass number remains the same because protons and neutrons have similar mass.
Given:
- The parent nucleus is Cerium-141 ([tex]^{141}_{58}Ce[/tex])
Beta Decay:
A beta particle ([tex]\beta^-[/tex]) is emitted, which is equivalent to an electron [tex](e^-)[/tex] with a mass number of 0 and an atomic number of -1.
The resulting daughter nucleus will have the same mass number (141) and an atomic number increased by 1 (from Ce with atomic number 58 to Praseodymium (Pr) with atomic number 59).
The Equation for the Beta Decay of Ce-141 is:
[tex]^{141}_{58}\text{Ce} \rightarrow ^{141}_{59}\text{Pr} + \beta^-[/tex]
This chemical equation represents the transformation of Cerium-141 into Praseodymium-141 with the emission of a beta particle. The atomic number of Cerium increases by 1, turning it into Praseodymium, while the mass number stays the same at 141.
