Carbon-14 undergoes nuclear decay - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (k) - 2021

To represent the nuclear decay of Carbon-14 to Nitrogen-14, we can write the equation as:

$_6^{14}C \rightarrow _7^{14}N + \beta^-$

In this equation:

• $_6^{14}C$ is the Carbon-14 nucleus, which has 6 protons and a mass number of 14.
• $_7^{14}N$ is the daughter nucleus, Nitrogen-14, which has 7 protons and a mass number of 14.
• The particle $\beta^-$ represents the beta decay (an electron) emitted during this process.