A neutral parent atom undergoing β⁻-decay has atomic mass 64.9270 u, while the neutral daughter atom has atomic mass 64.9230 u. Take 1 u·c² = 931.5 MeV. The available decay energy is approximately:
Options

Question

A neutral parent atom undergoing β⁻-decay has atomic mass 64.9270 u, while the neutral daughter atom has atomic mass 64.9230 u. Take 1 u·c² = 931.5 MeV. The available decay energy is approximately:

Options

G1 Physics · Accepted Answer

For β⁻-decay using neutral atomic masses, Q = [M(parent)−M(daughter)]c². Mass difference: Δm = 64.9270−64.9230 = 0.0040 u. Therefore, Q = 0.0040×931.5 = 3.726 MeV. Hence Q ≈ 3.73 MeV. Correct option: C.