Here's why:
* Phosphorus-32 (³²P) is a radioactive isotope with an unstable nucleus.
* Beta decay is a type of radioactive decay where a neutron in the nucleus transforms into a proton, emitting an electron (beta particle) and an antineutrino.
* This process changes the element's identity. In this case, phosphorus (atomic number 15) becomes sulfur (atomic number 16) because the number of protons increases by one.
The complete nuclear reaction is:
³²P → ³²S + β⁻ + ν̅ₑ
Where:
* ³²P is the phosphorus-32 isotope
* ³²S is the sulfur-32 isotope
* β⁻ is the beta particle (electron)
* ν̅ₑ is the antineutrino
