Radioactive decay

Radioactive decay is a phenomenon in which unstable atoms emit their energy in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. It is a random event, so we are not able to predict what core and when it will transform. Radioactive decay is determined by the so-called decay constant, which has a different value for each radioisotope. There are 3 basic types of decay – alpha, beta and gamma.

Table showing the characteristics of individual types of decay:

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