Beta decay occurs because of the weak interaction between quarks.
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Why does a neutron turn into a proton in beta minus decay?
A neutron turns into a proton because a down quark turns into an up quark.
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Why does a proton turn into a neutron in beta plus decay?
A proton turns into a neutron in beta plus decay as an up quark turns into a down quark
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What does the W^- boson do in beta minus decay?
The W^- boson âcarries awayâ the negative charge of the down quark (that turns into an up quark) which provides the negative charge for the electron and antineutrino.
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What does the W^+ boson do in beta plus decay?
The W+ boson âcarries awayâ the positive charge of the up quark (which turns into the down quark) which provides the positive charge for the positron and neutrino.
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What four things are always conserved in an interaction?
Things that are conserved in an interaction:
* baryon number * lepton number * energy * momentum