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[[de:Elektroneneinfang]] [[nl:Elektronenvangst]] [[pl:Wychwyt elektronu]]

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin:5px; border:3px solid;width:30%;">
<tr><td style="border-bottom:3px solid; background:#efefef;">
<b>Nuclear processes</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>
[[Radioactive decay]] processes
* [[Alpha decay]]
* [[Beta decay]]
* [[Electron capture]]
* [[Gamma radiation]]
* [[Neutron emission]]
* [[Positron emission]]
* [[Proton emission]]
* [[Spontaneous fission]]
----
[[Nucleosynthesis]]
* Neutron Capture
** The [[R-process]]
** The [[S-process]]
* Proton capture: 
** The [[P-process]]
</table>

'''Electron capture''' is a [[decay mode]] for [[chemical element]]s that will occur when there are too many [[proton]]s in the [[atomic nucleus|nucleus]] of an [[atom]], and there isn't enough energy to emit a [[positron]]. 

In this case, one of the orbital [[electron]]s is captured by a proton in the nucleus, forming a [[neutron]] and a [[neutrino]]. Since the proton is essentially changed to a neutron, the number of neutrons increases by 1, the number of protons decreases by 1, and the [[atomic mass]] remains unchanged. By changing the number of protons, electron capture transforms the [[nuclide]] into a new [[element]].

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====References====
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Electron_capture" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_capture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_capture], used under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]