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Do radioactive elements decay into other elements?
Radioactivity and radioactive decay are spontaneous processes. Radioactive decay involves the spontaneous transformation of one element into another. The only way that this can happen is by changing the number of protons in the nucleus (an element is defined by its number of protons).
What happens to atoms in radioactive decay?
When radioactive atoms decay, they release energy in the form of ionizing radiation (alpha particles, beta particles and/or gamma rays). The energy is called ionizing radiation because it has enough energy to knock tightly bound electrons from an atom’s orbit. This causes the atom to become a charged ion.
Does radioactive decay happen when one atom becomes another kind?
Radioactive decay happens when one kind of atom becomes another kind. Radioactive elements occur in nature. Carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14. Geologists will measure how stable multiple parent elements can decay into multiple daughter elements.
Can an element decay into another element?
This process, called transmutation, is the change of one element into another as a result of changes within the nucleus. The radioactive decay and transmutation process will continue until a new element is formed that has a stable nucleus and is not radioactive. Transmutation can occur naturally or by artificial means.
How do atoms become radioactive?
What causes atoms to be radioactive? Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.
Why do atoms undergo radioactive decay?
Every atom seeks to be as stable as possible. In the case of radioactive decay, instability occurs when there is an imbalance in the number of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus. If the nucleus of an atom is unstable, eventually it will break apart to lose at least some of the particles that make it unstable.
Why do atoms decay at different times?
Atoms don’t age. Atoms radioactively decay when a lower-energy nuclear configuration exists to which they can transition. The actual decay event of an individual atom happens randomly and is not the result of the atom getting old or changing through time.
How do radioactive elements change into other elements?
Transmutation occurs by bombarding a nucleus with other elements or particles, building up (not decaying) new elements – although those new elements may themselves be “radioactive” and begin the sequence of decays to more stable states as well.
What emits radioactive decay?
Radioactive decay is the emission of energy in the form of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation can affect the atoms in living things, so it poses a health risk by damaging tissue and DNA in genes.. The ionizing radiation that is emitted can include alpha particles.