Question

what is positron emission?
positron emission occurs when the nucleus emits a particle that contains 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
positron emission occurs during the conversion of a proton in the nucleus to a neutron.
positron emission is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is essentially a high energy photon
positron emission occurs when the nucleus emits an electron.
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part b
what is the symbol for a positron?
express your answer as a chemical expression.

Explanation:

Part A

1. Analyze each option:

• Option 1: Emitting a particle with 2 protons and 2 neutrons is alpha decay, not positron emission.
• Option 2: Positron emission involves a proton in the nucleus converting to a neutron, emitting a positron. This matches the definition.
• Option 3: High - energy photon emission is gamma decay, not positron emission.
• Option 4: Emitting an electron is beta - minus decay, not positron emission.

Step1: Recall the properties of a positron

A positron has a mass number of 0 (since its mass is approximately equal to that of an electron, which is negligible compared to protons and neutrons) and a charge of +1 (opposite to an electron's - 1 charge).

Step2: Write the symbol

In nuclear notation, the symbol for a positron is written as $_{+1}^0e$ (or sometimes $_{+1}^0\beta$). The subscript is the atomic number (charge) and the superscript is the mass number.

Answer:

B. Positron emission occurs during the conversion of a proton in the nucleus to a neutron.

Part B