What is a property of beta particles (β)?

Beta particles are indeed electrons with a negative charge. In nuclear reactions, beta decay occurs when a neutron in an unstable nucleus transforms into a proton and emits a beta particle, which is the electron. This process results in the increase of the atomic number by one while the mass number remains unchanged.

This is fundamentally important to understanding beta radiation and its role in decay processes. Since beta particles are charged, they can interact with electric and magnetic fields, which distinguishes them from other particles such as gamma rays that are neutral. The mass of beta particles is much smaller than that of alpha particles, which consist of two protons and two neutrons, making them much more massive. Therefore, while alpha particles and gamma radiation involve different types of interactions and properties, beta particles specifically refer to high-energy, high-speed electrons that are emitted during nuclear decay.