Answer :
Phosphorus-32 undergoes a type of radioactive decay known as beta minus (β-) decay. In beta minus decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom is converted into a proton, and a beta particle (which is an electron) is emitted from the nucleus.
Here's how the process works step-by-step:
Neutron to Proton Conversion: In the nucleus of a Phosphorus-32 atom, one of the neutrons is transformed into a proton.
Emission of a Beta Particle: This process emits a beta particle, which is essentially an electron that was produced during the decay process.
Change in Atomic Number: Since a neutron is converted into a proton, the atomic number of the element increases by 1. Phosphorus has an atomic number of 15. After beta decay, the new element will have an atomic number of 16.
Element Transformation: With the atomic number change from 15 to 16, the element is transformed from Phosphorus (P) to Sulfur (S).
Mass Number: The mass number remains the same because the total number of protons and neutrons remains unchanged. Thus, the mass number stays at 32.
New Element: Therefore, after beta minus decay of Phosphorus-32, the resulting element is Sulfur-32.
Based on this process, the correct answer is: Sulfur-32.
