BRAINCAKERadioactive Decay
Radioactive decay is random and spontaneous. The disintegration of an unstable nucleus cannot be predicted. Nor can it be influenced directly by e.g. heating the substance. However, every nucleus has the same probability that it will decay in any given time interval. Therefore the number of nuclei that will decay in any given time can be predicted as it is proportional to the total number of nuclei present.
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Key terms in this lesson
- activity
- The number of nuclei of a radioactive isotope that disintegrate per second, measured in becquerels.
More in Radioactivity
- The Dangers of Radioactivity
- Background Radiation
- Radioactive Decay and Half-life
- Activity
- Decay Constant
- Radiocarbon dating
- Argon Dating
- Radioactive Tracers
All 25 lessons in Radioactivity · All OCR A-level Physics topics