Knowra Radioactive decay Radioactive decay Radioactive decay is the spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a more stable state, emitting particles or electromagnetic radiation.
Alpha decay : A nuclear decay mode that emits a helium-4 nucleus, reducing the parent nucleus’s atomic number by two and mass number by four. It ejects a compact cluster of two protons and two neutrons.
Atomic nucleus : The compact central part of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons bound by the strong interaction. Radioactive transformations occur in this central structure.
Radiometric dating : A method for estimating the age of materials from measured radioactive decay and isotope abundances. Known decay rates turn parent-to-daughter isotope ratios into elapsed time.
Nuclear fission : The splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into lighter nuclei, usually accompanied by neutrons and energy release. Fission is commonly induced by neutron absorption, unlike spontaneous radioactive decay.
Ionizing radiation : Radiation with enough energy to remove electrons from atoms or molecules, creating ions. Many decay products are ionizing and can alter matter along their paths.
Beta decay : A nuclear decay process in which a neutron changes into a proton or a proton into a neutron, emitting a beta particle. It changes the element while leaving the nucleon count unchanged.
Nuclide : A species of atom specified by its numbers of protons and neutrons, and sometimes its nuclear energy state. Decay changes a nuclide into another nuclide or energy state.
Radiocarbon dating : A dating method that estimates the age of once-living material from its carbon-14 content. It applies radioactive decay to archaeological and geological samples containing organic carbon.
Nuclear fusion : A nuclear reaction in which light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing or absorbing energy depending on the products. Fusion is a reaction between nuclei, not the spontaneous decay of one unstable nucleus.
Radiation dose : A measure of energy deposited by ionizing radiation in matter, with biological effect represented by equivalent or effective dose. Decay emissions matter biologically according to the dose they deliver, not activity alone.
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