Henri Becquerel demonstrated beta particles in 1900. Identical with electrons is there negative charge at -1. Their mass is 549 millionths of one AMU, 1/2000 of the mass of a proton or neutron. Beta particles consist of high energetic electrons emitted by radioactive nuclei or neutrons. By the process of beta decay, one of the neutrons in the nucleus is transformed into a proton and a new atom is formed which has one less neutron but one more proton in the core. Beta decay is accompanied by the emission of a positron (the antiparticle of the electron), a positive charged antineutrino. Beta particles have a greater range of penetration than alpha particles but less than gamma rays or x-rays. The name beta was coined by Rutherford in 1897. The traveling speed of beta particles depends on their energy. Because of their small mass and charge beta particles travel deep into tissues and cause cellular damage and possible cancer.

See also Radiation Shielding.

Radioactive decay is the change of instable atoms to a more stable state. This change to a different nuclide by the spontaneous emission of radiation such as alpha or beta particles, gamma rays, or by electron capture follows an element-specific decay chain. Each step in the decay chain has a definite half-life.
Sometimes also the reduction of excitation energy of the nucleus by e.g. internal conversion is mentioned as radioactive decay.

See also Decay Chain, Radioisotope.