| Its existence was suggested to explain missing energy and angular momentum when a beta particle was emitted from a radioactive element. |
| Next smaller in mass is the beta particle, which is identical in mass and charge to an electron. |
| The emitted beta particle travels through air at close to the speed of light. |
| During this process the nucleus expels a negative beta particle as radiation. |
| When a nucleus decays, through the emission of either an alpha or beta particle, the resulting new nucleus is often left in an excited state. |
| Beta emissions involve the loss of an electron from the nucleus as a beta particle during the conversion of a neutron into a proton. |
