Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Cobalt-60 (mass u) decays by beta-minus to an excited state of nickel-60 (ground-state mass u). The excited nucleus then sends out two gamma rays of MeV and MeV and reaches the ground state. Find the energy released in the whole decay and the largest kinetic energy that the beta particle can have. Nitrogen-13 ( u) decays by beta-plus to carbon-13 ( u). Find the energy released, using MeV and .
In every decay the total mass number and the total charge stay the same. An alpha decay changes by . A beta-minus decay changes it by . The energy released is , with atomic masses: for alpha decay, for beta-minus, and for beta-plus, where MeV. The products share the kinetic energy in the inverse ratio of their masses.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Cobalt-60. u. So MeV.
Step 2. The beta particle. The gamma rays carry MeV. The beta particle, the antineutrino and the tiny nuclear recoil share the rest, MeV. The beta particle has its largest energy when the antineutrino carries off almost none.
Step 3. Nitrogen-13. u, which is MeV. Then MeV.
Answer: MeV, MeV and MeV.
Watch out. The energy of an individual beta particle can be anything from up to MeV, because the antineutrino takes a share that changes from decay to decay.
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