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What is the estimate for how long it takes nuclear waste to complettly decay?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Each radioactive isotope has its own rate of decay, called the "half-life". This is the time that it takes for one-half of the radioactive elements to decay into something else. For very radioactive elements, the half-life is pretty short, but sometimes the element that id decays into is itself radioactive.
It _NEVER_ completely decays, but at some point the nuclear waste is no more radioactive than the background material. Remember that some elements like uranium are naturally found in rock formations, and that elements like radon are naturally occuring in the environment. This becomes a problem in the basements moutainous areas, where radon gas accumulates and can cause lung cancers.
In general, nuclear waste needs to be protected and isolated for about 50 years; after that, the residual radioactivity isn't going to be especially hazardous.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
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What is the purpose of nuclear decay?
nuclear decay is when the nucleus of an atom is broken apart. because the number of protons has changed, so has the element. this usually happens with large nuclei, which tend to be more unstable (radioactive) than smaller nuclei.
What actually decays in radioactive decay?
The nucleus of the atom decays, and in the process, the nucleus transforms into another element, or into an isotope or isomer of the same element. In radioactive decay, the nucleus always emits some kind of particle(s). It is the high-energy emission of these particles that we call radiation. There are many different types of radioactive decay:Alpha decay results in the emission of an alpha particle (two neutrons and two protons)Beta decay results in the emission of a beta particle (an electron or a positron)Neutron decay results in the emission of a neutronProton decay results in the emission of a protonGamma decay results in the emission of a gamma particle (a photon)Neutrino decay results in the emission of a neutrino or antineutrinoIn some cases, a combination of the above emissions takes place. For example in double beta decay, a single nucleus emits two electrons and two antineutrinos in the same event.
What is the meaning of attak and decay in the elements of music?
the attack and decay are two parts of a note's envelope which have an attack phase, a sustain phase, a decay then finally a release phase. the attack is how quickly the note reaches its loudest point,. take a guitar for example, when the string is plucked it is immediately at its loudest, that is the attack, the sustain is how long the note stays at its loudest point, with a guitar this depends on the strength of the pluck, a strong pluck will give a long sustain where a soft pluck will have a small sustain decay is how long the note takes to drop to go from its highest point to its release point, which is considered its quietest phase, the trail of the note when in the decay phase goes from loud to almost silent, if you look at a guitar string audio wave the decay phase is where the tail begins to get smaller. release is where the sound finally dissipates with a guitar release is immediate after decay, however with electronic synthesis, you have the option to allow a longer release allowing the note to persist for greater time.
How does carbon dating works?
Radiocarbon dating, or Carbon 14 dating, relies on processes of radioactive decay. It can be used on any organic matter. Every living thing contains carbon. When something dies its body stops taking in carbon. From this point onwards the carbon in the body will begin to decay. It takes roughly 5568 years for the half the carbon in any sample to decay (this is its half life) Decay is at a relatively constant rate. By looking at how much carbon remains in a sample it is possible to calculate how long ago it stopped taking in new carbon (when it died). There is always an error range associated with results, which is given with a + and - sign. A result of 550 +-50 BC means that a sample is likely to date from 500-600BC. Carbon dating is accurate up to roughly 50,000 years ago. After this the rate of decay is too small to get accurate dates from a sample, and other dating methods (such as Thermoluminescence and Potassium-Argon) have to be used.
What are ome of the good things about the nuclear plant like in Chernobyl?
Nuclear power plants produce large amounts of energy which are generally better then using fossil fuels. The downside, in case you wanted to know, is the waste product is nuclear waste which is highly radioactive, and can give you radiation sickness, or cancer. The waste takes approx. 100,000 years to stabilize.
What is the estimates for how long it takes nuclear waste to completely decay?
dudee........You wont see it. Its 10,000 years.
Will nuclear waste be dangerous to future generations?
Absolutely ! Nuclear waste takes hundreds - perhaps thousands of years to decay. Many generations of people to come will have to manage the storage and disposal of nuclear waste.
Is nuclear fusion used to describe the rate of a radioactive isotopes decay?
No. Nuclear fusion is the process by which 4 hydrogen atoms are fused into a single helium atom, releasing huge amounts of energy. This is the process that powers our sun. Radioactive decay of isotopes is described by the concept of the half life. The half life of an isotope is the time it takes for 1/2 of a sample of that isotope to decay into a daughter product.
The way you express the time it takes for atoms in a radioactive substance to distintegrate is called?
The time used for dealing with nuclear decay is called a half life. Decay of a radioactive atom is something that happens by change, and the atoms of one isotope may be more or less prone to decay than the atoms of another. The way we normally express the rate of decay is to speak of the amount of time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample to decay, which is the same as the time during which any one atom of the sample has a 50% chance of decaying.
A substance is the time required for half the atoms in a sample of a radioactive isotope to decay?
The time it takes for half the sample to decay is called the half-life.The time it takes for half the sample to decay is called the half-life.The time it takes for half the sample to decay is called the half-life.The time it takes for half the sample to decay is called the half-life.
What is the random nature of nuclear decay and how does it relate to half life?
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.
How long does it take for 75 of an original 100 silver atoms to decay?
The decay rate of atoms is typically quantified by a half-life, which is the time it takes for half of the original atoms to decay. If we assume a constant decay rate, we can estimate that it takes approximately 3 half-lives for 75 of the original 100 silver atoms to decay. If the half-life of the silver isotope is 1 hour, then it would take approximately 3 hours for 75 of the atoms to decay.
What dose the nuclear membrane do?
The nuclear takes care of the nucleus .
What dose the nuclear membranes?
The nuclear takes care of the nucleus .
How long does it take for leather to decay?
It takes hundreds of years.
What do we call the time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to decay?
The time it takes for half of a sample to decay is called the "half-life" of the corresponding material.
What is a problem that using nuclear energy causes?
A major problem is disposal of the radioactive waste materials. The stuff takes centuries to decay to a safe level, and until it does you have to find a safe place to hide it...and nobody wants you to hide it in their state.
