FREE DAT Practice Test 2026 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Beta minus decay changes the atomic number Z how?

Z decreases by 1 Z remains unchanged Z increases by 1 Z increases by 2

Correct Answer:

Z increases by 1

Explanation:

In beta minus decay, a neutron inside the nucleus is transformed into a proton, with the emission of an electron (the beta particle) and an antineutrino. This conversion increases the number of protons in the nucleus by one, so the atomic number Z goes up by 1. The total number of nucleons stays the same, so the mass number A doesn’t change.

Access more questions from this quiz

Continue to FREE DAT Practice Test 2026 Official Study Guide [PDF] for more practice questions and the full quiz experience.

Access More Questions