Beta << BAY tuh >> particle is a high-energy subatomic particle given off by the nucleus of a radioactive atom as it undergoes a nuclear transformation . Subatomic particles are particles smaller than atoms. They include electrons , which carry a negative electric charge; protons , which carry a positive charge; and neutrons , which are electrically neutral. Most beta particles are electrons formed when a neutron converts to a proton. Some beta particles are positrons produced by the transformation of a proton. A positron is the antimatter equivalent of an electron. It has a positive, rather than a negative charge.
A beta particle is very tiny. It has only about 1/1,840 the mass of a proton. Its high energy enables it to travel far in air and to pass through solid matter several millimeters thick. Scientists gauge a beta particle’s energy by measuring how far it can penetrate certain substances.
