Nuclear Decay Calculator. Nuclear decay processes. Nuclear Decay · Head back to the helpdesk · Find more tutorials · Try some practice worksheets In this section : Alpha decay Beta decay Gamma decay Positron emission Electron capture As you’ve probably heard from a teacher, nuclear reactions are really important. In this help desk section, we’ll talk about the different types of radioactive decay! Alpha decay Alpha decay occurs when helium nuclei come flying off of the nucleus of a larger isotope, forming an isotope with a smaller mass.
Beta decay Beta decay is when an electron (called in this context a “beta particle”) is emitted from the nucleus of an atom, essentially turning a neutron into a proton. Gamma decay Gamma decay is when very high energy light called a gamma ray is emitted from a nucleus to bring it to a lower energy state. Positron emission Positron emission is when a positron is given off by a nucleus. Electron capture Questions, comments, interesting discoveries? Decayactivity.pdf (application/pdf Object) Nuclear Decay.