Random Nature of Radioactive Decay Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

What is meant by the 'random nature of radioactive decay'?

You cannot predict which nucleus will decay next, or when a particular nucleus will decay.

True or false? Radioactive decay can be triggered or speeded up by heating the sample.

False. Decay is a random nuclear process, unaffected by temperature or chemical conditions.

True or false? Although individual decays are random, the half-life of an isotope is predictable.

True. With very large numbers of nuclei, the overall rate of decay follows a reliable pattern.

Why does a measured count-rate vary slightly from second to second even for a steady source?

Because decay is random, so the number of decays in each second is not exactly the same.