section_path: Neutrons in an atomic nucleus/Beta decay
section_name: Beta decay
paragraph_text: Beta decay
  
  Neutrons and protons within a nucleus behave similarly and can exchange their identities by similar reactions. These reactions are a form of radioactive decay known as beta decay. Beta decay, in which neutrons decay to protons, or vice versa, is governed by the weak force, and it requires the emission or absorption of electrons and neutrinos, or their antiparticles. The neutron and proton decay reactions are:
  
  where p, e, and ν denote the proton, electron and electron anti- neutrino decay products, and
  
  where n, e, and ν denote the neutron, positron and electron neutrino decay products.
  
  The electron and positron produced in these reactions are historically known as beta particles, denoted β or β respectively, lending the name to the decay process. In these reactions, the original particle is not composed of the product particles; rather, the product particles are created at the instant of the reaction.