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Radioactive Decay

The process by which unstable atoms of an element loses excess energy (its instability) by emitting that energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. This often results in the transformation of one element into another element on the periodic scale, and can be charted along that scale by means of a decay chain.

The interplay of internal atomic forces (strong and weak nuclear forces as well as the electrostatic force) depends upon the configuration of elements in the system. Should these elements shift, the particles may fall into a lower energy state, with the extra energy going elsewhere by means of some form of decay. The precise timing of any individual unstable isotope's decay is unpredictable, but can be generally predicted in concentration by calculating the isotopic half-life: the time it takes for a concentration of isotopic atoms to decay by half.

Radioactive decay may disturb other quantum states of the system, resulting in an avalanche of further decay events. The forms of radioactivity are: alpha and beta, which involve the emission of particles and parts of the nucleus, and gamma, which is the emission of 'packets' of pure energy as photons. Radioactive decay results in the reduction of mass.

Web Resources On Radioactive Decay

Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay (Wikipedia)

Book Resources On Radioactive Decay

Multiple Exposures: Chronicles of the Radiation Age by Catherine Caufield
Rad Tech's Guide to Radiation Protection by Euclid Seeram

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