What is radioactive decay?

Answer 1

Radioactive decay is the spontaneous change or disintegration of an unstable atomic nucleus as it transforms itself to lose energy. It does this by the release of either particulate radiation or electromagnetic radiation, or both. This atomic event is random and cannot be predicted, but by applying statistical principles to large numbers of a given radionuclide, an "average" decay time can be found, and we have the half-life. There are several different types of radioactive decay. They range from spontaneous fission to alpha decay, beta decay and a couple of others.

The spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus

Answer 2

the spontaneous breakdown of a nucleus.