Radioactive decay is a process in which elementary particles are lost by the nucleus of an isotope, due to which the isotope becomes a more stable element. These subatomic substances leave the atom with great speed. When decaying, the isotope emits radioactive gamma radiation, as well as alpha and beta particles. The explanation for this process is that most cores are unstable. Isotopes are called varieties of the same chemical element with the same number of protons, but with a different number of neutrons.
Types of radioactive decay: gamma rays, alpha and beta decay. Further more about them. During alpha decay, helium is released, which is also called an alpha particle, during beta decay, the nucleus of an atom loses an electron, moving forward along the periodic table by one position, and gamma radiation - decay of nuclei with the simultaneous emission of photons, or gamma rays. In the latter case, the process occurs with the loss of energy, but without modifying the chemical element.
The reaction of radioactive decay proceeds in such a way that for a certain period of time, the number of nucleons emanates from the nucleus of the elements, proportional to the number of nucleons that still remain in the nucleus. That is, the more they still remain in the atom, the more they will come out of it. The decay rate of an atom is determined by the so-called radioactivity constant, which is also known as the radioactive decay constant. However, it is usually not measured in physics. Instead, they use such a value as the half-life - the time during which the nucleus will lose half of its nucleons. It depends on the type of substance and can last from insignificant fractions of a second to billions of years. In other words, some atomic nuclei can exist forever, and some - a very short time before decay.
The isotope that was the source in the decay process is called the parent isotope, and the result is called the daughter isotope.
The radioactive elements are born in the vast majority of cases as a result of a chain of fission reactions. For example: the "mother" (primary) core breaks up into several "daughter" ones, those, in turn, are also divided. And this chain is not interrupted until stable isotopes are formed. For example: the half-life of uranium is more than four and a half billion years. During this time, as a result of the fission of the nuclei of this element, thorium is first formed, which, in turn, becomes palladium, and at the end of this entire long chain there will be lead. Rather, its stable isotope.
Radioactive decay has a number of its features. You can not remain silent about its "side effects." For example, if we take a sample of a radioactive isotope, as a result of its decay, we obtain a series of radioactive substances with different masses of the nucleus. You can give many examples of division chains. Radioactivity is, by and large, a natural phenomenon. After all, nuclear decay of substances occurred long before a person discovered these mechanisms. However, the activity of this decay has led to an increase in the radioactive background of the entire planet. In particular, due to the artificial acceleration of such natural processes.
The radioactive decay for humanity turns into both new opportunities and dangers. It is worth recalling at least the process of fission of uranium-238 nuclei. It, in particular, leads to the formation of radon-222. This inert noble gas is found in large quantities on the planet. By itself, it does not represent any danger, but only until the nuclei of its atoms begin to decay into other elements. The products of its division, especially in an unventilated room, harm human health.
Radioactive decay as a process can also be beneficial. But only if you use its products correctly. For example, radioactive phosphorus, injected into the body, helps to get information about the condition of the patient’s bones. The rays emitted by him are recorded by photosensitive equipment, which allows you to get accurate pictures with fixed fracture sites. The degree of its radioactivity is very small and cannot cause any harm to humans.