{"id":85587,"date":"2025-06-01T03:22:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T03:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?p=85587"},"modified":"2025-06-01T03:22:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T03:22:08","slug":"in-the-gamma-decay-of-a-nucleus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/in-the-gamma-decay-of-a-nucleus\/","title":{"rendered":"In the gamma decay of a nucleus"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the gamma decay of a nucleus<\/p>\n

[amp_mcq option1=”the mass number of the nucleus changes whereas its atomic number does not change” option2=”the mass number of the nucleus does not change whereas its atomic number changes” option3=”both the mass number and the atomic number of the nucleus change” option4=”neither the mass number nor the atomic number of the nucleus changes” correct=”option4″]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
This question was previously asked in<\/div>\n
UPSC CDS-2 – 2016<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Download PDF<\/a>Attempt Online<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nIn the gamma decay of a nucleus, neither the mass number nor the atomic number of the nucleus changes.
\n<\/section>\n
\n– Gamma decay is a type of radioactive decay where an atomic nucleus in an excited state emits a gamma ray photon.
\n– A gamma ray is high-energy electromagnetic radiation and has no mass or charge.
\n– The emission of a gamma ray allows the nucleus to transition from a higher energy level to a lower energy level.
\n– Since no particles (protons or neutrons) are emitted or transformed, the number of protons (atomic number, Z) and the total number of nucleons (mass number, A) in the nucleus remains unchanged.
\n– Alpha decay decreases A by 4 and Z by 2. Beta decay increases Z by 1 (\u03b2\u207b decay) or decreases Z by 1 (\u03b2\u207a decay) while A remains unchanged.
\n<\/section>\n
\nGamma decay often occurs after alpha or beta decay, when the daughter nucleus is left in an excited state. The excited nucleus de-excites by emitting one or more gamma rays.
\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the gamma decay of a nucleus [amp_mcq option1=”the mass number of the nucleus changes whereas its atomic number does not change” option2=”the mass number of the nucleus does not change whereas its atomic number changes” option3=”both the mass number and the atomic number of the nucleus change” option4=”neither the mass number nor the atomic … <\/p>\n

Detailed SolutionIn the gamma decay of a nucleus<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1088],"tags":[1098,1203,1128],"class_list":["post-85587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-upsc-cds-2","tag-1098","tag-nuclear-physics","tag-physics","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\nIn the gamma decay of a nucleus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the gamma decay of a nucleus, neither the mass number nor the atomic number of the nucleus changes. - Gamma decay is a type of radioactive decay where an atomic nucleus in an excited state emits a gamma ray photon. - A gamma ray is high-energy electromagnetic radiation and has no mass or charge. - The emission of a gamma ray allows the nucleus to transition from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. - Since no particles (protons or neutrons) are emitted or transformed, the number of protons (atomic number, Z) and the total number of nucleons (mass number, A) in the nucleus remains unchanged. - Alpha decay decreases A by 4 and Z by 2. Beta decay increases Z by 1 (\u03b2\u207b decay) or decreases Z by 1 (\u03b2\u207a decay) while A remains unchanged.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/in-the-gamma-decay-of-a-nucleus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In the gamma decay of a nucleus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the gamma decay of a nucleus, neither the mass number nor the atomic number of the nucleus changes. - Gamma decay is a type of radioactive decay where an atomic nucleus in an excited state emits a gamma ray photon. - A gamma ray is high-energy electromagnetic radiation and has no mass or charge. - The emission of a gamma ray allows the nucleus to transition from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. - Since no particles (protons or neutrons) are emitted or transformed, the number of protons (atomic number, Z) and the total number of nucleons (mass number, A) in the nucleus remains unchanged. - Alpha decay decreases A by 4 and Z by 2. 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