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The best-known radioactive isotope of carbon is carbon-14, which is used for dating (calculating the age) of organic materials. However, carbon has several other isotopes, both stable and unstable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_carbon
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How is a stable nucleus different to an unstable nucleus?
A stable nucleus is one which will not decay, whereas an unstable nucleus will decay at some point, which cannot be predicted as decay is a random process, by alpha or beta decay.
The nucleus of a radium 226 atom is unstable which causes the nucleus to?
Decay
When an unstable magnesium nucleus undergoes gamma decay the nucleus formed is that of what?
Magnesium
What are the causes of decay?
An unstable nucleus, which can be caused by:excess of neutronsshortage of neutronsmetastable excited state of nucleus
What happens to a nucleus of an unstable atom?
the unstable nucleus will decay into smaller, stable particles.
What is a nucleus that is unstable and undergoes decay?
Atomic nuclei that are unstable and decaying are said to be radioactive. Radioactive decay involves alpha, beta and gamma particle emissions.
What triggers an unstable nucleus to decay?
When a nucleus is unstable it has either too many or too few neutrons in the nucleus. This is what causes nuclear decay as the nucleus needs to have the correct ratio of neutrons to protons to be stable. It may be triggered by an outside force, such as a colliding particle, or simply by chance.
What can cause a nucleus to become unstable and decay?
Too many or too few neutrons.
Is it true that a unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability?
It is true that unstable nuclei will undergo radioactive decay in order to gain stability. These include nuclei of #43 Technitium (Tc), any nucleus containing more that 83 protons and any nucleus with a high neutron-to-proton ratio, such as carbon-14. The most common forms of decay are by emission of an alpha particle (2 protons and 2 neutrons ... a helium nucleus!) or a beta-negative decay in which a neutron bcomes a proton by emitting an electron and an antineutrino.
What process is a radioactive decay?
The process of a radioactive decay is atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles
If 2 protons are removed from an oxygen nucleus?
You will have an unstable carbon atom. The result will be carbon
If the nucleus of a radium-226 atom is unstable what causes the nucleus to spontaneously decay?
Instability is due to a certain ratio between neutrons and protons in the atomic nucleus.
