Fe
Transition metal
Iron
Z 26A 56mass 55.845
Slow-motion stage
Iron-56
proton
neutron
electron (β⁻)
Parent nucleus · 56 nucleons
26 protons (coral) and 30 neutrons (blue) are packed together and held by the strong force.
A real decay takes about 10⁻²¹ s. At ⅓× this stage stretches it across eleven seconds.
Choose a reaction
Reaction
5626Fe5627Co+β⁻+ ν̄
A neutron turns into a proton. An electron and an antineutrino fly out.
Z
2627
+1
A
5656
no change
n⁰
3029
-1
Energy released
0.900MeVtypical value
Electron (max)0.900 MeV
Mass convertedE = Δm c²0.00097 u
In joules1.44 × 10-13 J
Compared with a bonda C–C bond is 3.6 eV≈ 250,000 ×
Measured beta energies fall between 0.02 and 3 MeV.
The particle
- Charge
- −1
- Mass
- 1/1836 u
- Speed
- Up to 99.9% of the speed of light
- Ionising power
- Moderate
- Stopped by
- A few millimetres of aluminium