5.

2 Analysing Radioactive
Decay
2. Detectors for radioactive emission
3. Characteristics of
radioactive emission
4. Radioactive Decay
1. Radioactivity
Definition: Spontaneous disintegration of
an unstable nucleus accompanied by the
emission of an energetic particle or
photons
Spontaneous
disintegration
Unstable nucleus
emission of energetic/
photons
also called radioactive
emission
All nuclei with Z>83 or
A>209 are unstable
unstable nuclei (parent nuclide)
tends to decay/disintegrate into
more stable atoms (daughter
nuclide)
ionising effect by radioactive
emission
type of detectors
radiation from unstable
isotopes knocks eletrons off
atoms
Geiger-Muller
tube (GM tube)
Cloud Chamber
Spark Counter
Photographic lm
alpha (!)
gamma (!"
beta (")
Definition: a random and
spontaneous process where
an unstable nucleus
emits radiation to become
a more stable nucleus
Types
spontaneous
random
Alpha decay
Beta decay
gamma decay
ionising power
penetrating power
effect of E
effect of B
charge
velocity
Radioactive decay series
Concept of half-life
Definition: A series of successive
decay processes for a particular
radioisotope until a stable isotope
is achieved
Graph of N againts Z
Half-life: time taken by a radioactive
substance to decay to half of its
original amount
Activity: number of decays of
radioactive material per unit time
Graph of Activity vs. time
Happen by its own & its
rate cannot be controlled
does not affected
chemically & physically
impossible to predict when
atom will decay