Do elements actually transmute in nuclear reactions?

Whenever a nuclear transmutation happens, do we get a new element or do we have the same element with chemical properties of a different element?
Isn't it very much against the intuition?




By definition, a *[nuclear transmutation](http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/602997/transmutation)* involves transformation of one element into another. This means the element has undergone some sort of change in the nucleus (either by nuclear reaction or nuclear decay), hence a change in atomic weight and/or number.


Whether or not this goes against *intuition* depends upon what experiences one's intuition is based on.


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