The Random Nature of Decay Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

What does it mean to say that radioactive decay is a random process?

You cannot predict which nucleus will decay next or when any particular nucleus will decay; each has the same chance.

True or false? Knowing an isotope's half-life lets you predict when a particular nucleus will decay.

False. Half-life only predicts the average behaviour of a very large number of nuclei.

Why can half-life be used to make useful predictions even though decay is random?

Because samples contain a very large number of nuclei, so their average (overall) activity is predictable.

True or false? The count rate from a GM tube fluctuates slightly even when the source and detector are unchanged.

True. Decay is random, so the number of decays each second varies.