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Radioactive Half-Life definitions

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  • Half-Life
    Time interval needed for 50% of a radioactive sample to decay, unique to each radioisotope and denoted as t½.
  • Radioisotope
    Unstable atomic variant that emits radiation as its nucleus undergoes spontaneous decay.
  • Radioactive Decay
    Natural process where an unstable nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation, leading to a more stable form.
  • Isotope
    Form of an element with the same atomic number but different mass number due to varying neutrons.
  • Mass Number
    Sum of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, represented by 'A' in isotope notation.
  • Atomic Number
    Number of protons in an atom's nucleus, symbolized as 'Z' and defining the element.
  • Fraction Remaining
    Proportion of original radioisotope left after a certain number of half-lives, calculated as 0.5ⁿ.
  • Percentage Remaining
    Amount of radioisotope left, expressed as a percent, found by multiplying fraction remaining by 100.
  • Final Amount
    Quantity of radioisotope left after decay, determined by multiplying initial amount by fraction remaining.
  • Initial Amount
    Starting quantity of a radioisotope before any decay has occurred, used in calculations for remaining material.
  • Decay Rate
    Speed at which a radioisotope transforms into a more stable form, varying by element and measured by half-life.
  • Unstable Nucleus
    Atomic core prone to spontaneous transformation, resulting in emission of radiation.
  • Isotope Notation
    Symbolic representation showing element symbol, mass number (A), and atomic number (Z).