C14 Decay and Nitrogen Ion Date: Winter 2011-2012 When carbon-14
decays to nitrogen it gains a proton, however this means that
the nitrogen atom is "short" one electron so it has more protons
than electrons. Does the new nitrogen atom stay as an ion and if
not where does it get the "extra" electron? Charge is conserved
in all interactions. When the neutron decays, it produces an
electron and an antineutrino as well as a proton. The electron
produced usually is moving so fast that it escapes, but
electrons can shuffle around. Generally a lot of free radicals
are created. Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D., M.Ed. Department of
Physics and Astronomy University of Wyoming I do not know if I
have ever seen an answer to this question. As you know, however,
this decay does not occur in a vacuum, it occurs with all kinds
of other substances around it. Further, the beta particle that
is emitted is--for all practical purposes--as electron.
Conceivably, the beta particle (electron) could be entrapped by
neighboring newly-for