Radioactive Element Decay
A radioactive atom will naturally emit radiation in the form of energy or particles in order to transition into a more stable state. This procedure is called Radioactive Decay.
The nucleus before the decay is called the parent nucleus and the newly formed nucleus after decay is called the daughter nucleus.
The most common decays are Alpha Decay, Beta Decay, and Gamma Decays.
Alpha Decay
The emission of alpha particles from the nucleus is known as alpha decay. Alpha particles resemble the helium nucleus in that they are made up of two protons and two neutrons.
Where 2He4 is the Alpha particle that some radioactive element’s nucleus emits.
Beta Decay
The emission of beta particles from the nucleus occurs during beta decay. High-energy electrons or positrons are what are known as beta particles. Also, the emission of positron or neutrino is accompanied by its anti-particle antineutrino.
Where -1e0 is the beta particle and is the antineutrino.
Gamma Decay
Gamma radiation is released from the nucleus during gamma decay. High-energy electromagnetic radiation known as gamma radiation is released when a nucleus changes from a higher to a lower energy state.
Where -1e0 is the beta particle and 0γ0 is the gamma-ray particle.
Radioactive Elements in Periodic Table
Radioactive Elements are the elements that emit radioactive waves like alpha waves, beta waves, and gamma waves. The Process is called Radioactivity. They are found throughout the Earth’s crust and have important applications in various fields, including medicines, energy production, etc. The radioactive elements are unstable because of the presence of excess nuclear charge inside their atomic nucleus. These atomic nuclei undergo radioactive decay to form stable nuclei. The elements that undergo radioactive decay are called radioactive elements.
Learn about, Types of Radioactivity
In this article, we will learn about radioactive elements, radioactive elements table, characteristics, examples, and applications of radioactive elements.
Table of Content
- What are Radioactive Elements?
- History of Radioactive Elements
- List of Natural Radioactive Elements
- What is Alpha Radiation?
- List of Radioactive Elements on the Periodic Table
- Examples of Radioactive Elements
- Radioactive Metals
- Radioactive Element Decay
- Half-Life
- Characteristics of Radioactive Elements
- Effects of Radioactive Elements
- Toxicity of Radioactive Elements
- Uses of Radioactive Elements