Sunday, November 1, 2009

Radioactive Terms (Physics)

Just some important terms regarding chapter 10, Radioactivity.

1. Radioactivity - spontaneous and random emission of radioactive rays from unstable radioactive materials after which they become more stable.

2. Radioactive decay - the breaking up of unstable radioactive nuclei into more stable nuclei with the emission of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays.

3. Half-life - The time taken for half the mass of a radioactive material to decay.

4. Radioisotopes - Isotopes with radioactive properties.

5. Nuclear fusion - the splitting up of a nucleus with a big mass into two or more nuclides with the release of
energy.

6. Nuclear fission - the combination of small atoms into a larger atom with the release of
heat (also known as thermonuclear reaction).

Any corrections, extra info, or anything at all worth sharing, just leave a comment. Thanks.

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