"Radioactive" and "Radioactivity" redirect here. For other uses see
Radioactive (disambiguation).For decay rate in a more general context see
Particle decay. Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable
atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting
radiation in the form of
particles or
electromagnetic waves. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide transforming to an atom of a different type, called the daughter nuclide. For example: a carbon-14 atom (the "parent") emits radiation and transforms to a nitrogen-14 atom (the "daughter.") This is a
random process on the atomic level, in that it is impossible to predict when a particular atom will decay, but given a large number of similar atoms, the decay rate, on average, is predictable.
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