Chemistry / Chem 2519 · Atom · ~20 seconds
Gamma Emission Changes Neither Mass Nor Atomic Number
Video not yet published
to the StudyWalks catalog
to the StudyWalks catalog
State
Gamma emission releases a high-energy photon as an excited nucleus relaxes to a lower energy state, changing neither mass number nor atomic number.
Show
Cobalt-60 emits gamma radiation as its excited nucleus settles to its ground state, remaining cobalt-60 throughout.
Watch for
Gamma emission alone never transmutes one element into another — it often accompanies alpha or beta decay, but alone changes only energy state.