Which of the following is the best definition of radioactive decay?A.Radioactive decay is the splitting of a nucleus to produce huge amounts of energy.B.Radioactive decay is the spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus into smaller parts.C.Radioactive decay is the loss of mass that occurs when an atom is formed.D.Radioactive decay is the release of energy resulting from a chemical reaction.
Question
Which of the following is the best definition of radioactive decay?A.Radioactive decay is the splitting of a nucleus to produce huge amounts of energy.B.Radioactive decay is the spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus into smaller parts.C.Radioactive decay is the loss of mass that occurs when an atom is formed.D.Radioactive decay is the release of energy resulting from a chemical reaction.
Solution
The best definition of radioactive decay is B. Radioactive decay is the spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus into smaller parts. This process involves the release of energy and matter from the nucleus. It often also produces one or more new atoms. This is a random process at the level of single atoms, in that, according to quantum theory, it is impossible to predict when a particular atom will decay. However, the chance that a given atom will decay never changes, thus, no matter how many times the atom has not decayed, it will always have the same probability of decaying.
Similar Questions
What happens during radioactive decay?A.An unstable nucleus loses particles until it becomes stable.B.An unstable nucleus absorbs radiation to make it stable.C.An unstable nucleus gains mass until it becomes stable.D.An unstable nucleus gains neutrons to make it stable.
Briefly name and describe the three main types of radioactive decay.
What does radioactive mean?A.Generating positively or negatively charged ionsB.Having electron transitions at radio-wave frequenciesC.Emitting radiation as a result of unstable nucleiD.Absorbing high-energy electromagnetic radiation
What is primarily released in radioactive decay?A.Radio frequency wavesB.Photons in the visible rangeC.Particles or electromagnetic wavesD.Nuclear quarks and gluonsSUBMITarrow_backPREVIOUS
What characterizes a radioactive atom?A.Its nucleus is unstable.B.Its electrons gain energy.C.Its protons repel the neutrons.D.Its nucleus has too few quarks.SUBMITarrow_backPREVIOUS
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