We represent nuclear transformations using 'nuclear equations.' These equations reflect several conservation rules such as total mass number, total atomic number, and electric charge. Often, when beta processes are involved, an antineutrino (, or a neutrino ν) will be included to reflect conservation of leptons. When gamma rays are produced, they usually are not included in these equations.

The top equation represents the decay of a neutron. The second equation shows one means of producing tritium (hydrogen-3). Discussions of nuclear decay series [local] (such as top line in figure above) and nuclear reactions [local] (such as bottom line in figure above) are available.