There is a simple connection between the random nature of nuclear decay and the half-life of a radionuclide. Any given atom of a radioactive element can undergo decay "any time it wants to" in the real world. This is the random nature of radioactive decay. We absolutely cannot tell whenthat one atom of whatever it is will decide to decay. The nuclear decay will happen when "it wants to" and we can only speak to the decay event of a given radionuclide by statistical means.
We look at a vast number of the same kind of atoms and count the decay events. We do this over some determined interval of time, which can be shorter or longer, depending on how unstable the given radioisotope is. We'll then use our knowledge of how much we had to begin with and how many decay events we observed over out observation period to calculate how long it takes "about half" the material to decay. That's what a half-life is. It's a statistically derived span of time during which half the amount of a (sufficiently sized) sample of a specific radionuclide will decay and half will be left to undergo decay later on.
Half life is the period of time for half of something to be eliminated or transformed by some process. The term is used in many fields:
It doesn't 'impact' half-life. Half-life is used to describe how quickly the material is undergoing decay.
U-238 --> alpha + gamma + Th-234, halflife 4.51E9 yearsTh-234 --> beta- + gamma + Pa-234, halflife 24.10 daysPa-234 --> beta- + gamma + U-234, halflife 6.66 hours
It stays the same. Temperature has no effect on the rate of nuclear decay.
gamma decay
nuclear decay rates take more time and chemical reaction rates could happen fast.
The physical and chemical decay is not possible in vacuum but nuclear decay can neither be stopped.
Copper-67 undergoes beta decay with a halflife of 59 hours, becoming stable Zinc-67.
U-238 --> alpha + gamma + Th-234, halflife 4.51E9 yearsTh-234 --> beta- + gamma + Pa-234, halflife 24.10 daysPa-234 --> beta- + gamma + U-234, halflife 6.66 hours
no, halflife is a constant for each isotope's decay process.
what are the forms of nuclear decay
nuclear decay, such as alpha decay or beta decay.
Alpha nuclear decay
All nuclear decay is spontaneous.
yep, sure are
It stays the same. Temperature has no effect on the rate of nuclear decay.
That depends on the nuclear decay type. For gamma decay, the identity does NOT change, but for alpha and beta, it does.
The halflife is 2.1 days. Multiply that by about 5 to get the time to decay to near zero.10.5 days or so.
gamma decay