Radioative decayCopy

Learning Objectives

• State the meaning of radioactive decay
• State that during α- or β-decay the nucleus changes to that of a different element
• Use equations involving nuclide notation to represent changes in the composition of the nucleus when particles are emitted

Contents to learn

Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the spontaneous breakdown of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of energy and matter from the nucleus.

Remember that a radioisotope has unstable nuclei that does not have enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together.

Radioisotopes would like to be stable isotopes so they are constantly changing to try and stabilize. In the process, they will release energy and matter from their nucleus and often transform into a new element. This process, called transmutation, is the change of one element into another as a result of changes within the nucleus.

The radioactive decay and transmutation process will continue until a new element is formed that has a stable nucleus and is not radioactive.

Transmutation can occur naturally or by artificial means.