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Because each amount is halved over the time it takes for the half life process
for instance A Isotope has a half life of 20 years
If it starts off with 12,000
then in 20 years it'll be 6,000 (halfed)
another 20 years it'll be 3,000
so no matter how much there are, it will always decrease by half
What else can I help you with?
How many isotopes of polonium are part of the decay?
Each isotope has a specific radioactive decay.
What is stable and unstable isotopes?
Some isotopes are stable, others are unstable.
What isotopes accumulate in old uranium-bearing rock?
Ultimately lead, as it is the only element in the uranium decay chains with isotopes that are stable. Specifically the isotopes 206, 207, and 208; each of which is the end of a different decay chain.
Are isotopes stable?
No. They are not. They undergo nuclear decay at a specific rate for each different isotope.
When californium decays into Cm what is formed?
Each isotope has another type of decay but generally from californium are formed curium isotopes and an alpha particle.
How many isotopes of polonium are part of the decay?
Each isotope has a specific radioactive decay.
What is stable and unstable isotopes?
Some isotopes are stable, others are unstable.
What isotopes accumulate in old uranium-bearing rock?
Ultimately lead, as it is the only element in the uranium decay chains with isotopes that are stable. Specifically the isotopes 206, 207, and 208; each of which is the end of a different decay chain.
Is it true that the half-life of a radioactive isotope decreases as the isotopes decay?
no, halflife is a constant for each isotope's decay process.
Are isotopes stable?
No. They are not. They undergo nuclear decay at a specific rate for each different isotope.
Can nuclear decay occur in atoms of oxygen?
It sure can; basically, each element has radioactive isotopes. Check the Wikipedia article "isotopes of oxygen" for more details.
How many half-lives would be necessary for a sample of parent isotopes to decay to the point that only one-half of the sample is composed of parent isotopes?
It would take one half-life for a sample of parent isotopes to decay to the point where only one-half of the sample is composed of parent isotopes. Each half-life reduces the amount of parent isotopes by half.
When californium decays into Cm what is formed?
Each isotope has another type of decay but generally from californium are formed curium isotopes and an alpha particle.
Do all elements decay over time?
It is the unstable isotopes of elements that decay over time. All elements have an isotope or isotopes that are unstable and will decay over time. (These isotopes will be either naturally occurring or will be synthetic.) Some isotopes of some elements, however, are stable, and they will not undergo radioactive decay.To discover what's what, we have to do some homework, and what better place to start than the table of nuclides? It lists all the elemets, and all the isotopes of each element. Further, it tells us which ones are stable, which are unstable, and will also help us determine the decay mode of the unstable nuclides.
Why cant you add the average masses of each of the isotopes and divide to get overall average of the atoms?
Because the isotopes do not appear in equal amounts. This is hardly surprising since many isotopes experience radioactive decay and change to other elements after decay while stable isotopes persist - thus stable isotopes will usually dominate as the most common isotopes for individual elements with those with the longest half-lifes being more common than those with shorter half-lifes. Of course when you get into the heaviest elements there don't seem to be any stable isotopes so those with longest half life dominate.
What is the half lie of a radioisotope?
The half-life of a radioisotope is the time it takes for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay. It is a characteristic property of each radioisotope and determines the rate at which the isotopes decay.
Does the element aluminum undergo radioactive decay?
All elements have some isotopes that undergo radioactive decay, the question is how fast.Aluminum comes in three major isotopes, each with their own half-life:Al-26: 730000 years - 0% in natural aluminumAl-27: Stable - 100% in natural aluminumAl-28: 2.3 minutes - 0% in natural aluminumSo as natural aluminum is 100% Al-27 it does not undergo radioactive decay
