Radioactivity and Radioactive Decay

Some nuclei are unstable and naturally transform into other nuclear states or nuclei. The process is: spontaneous and individual decay events are: random. We cannot predict exactly when one particular unstable nucleus will decay. For a large collection, however, decay follows a predictable statistical law. Original radioactive nucleus: **parent nucleus Resulting nucleus: daughter nucleus**

Radioactive transformations may involve alpha or beta decay, often with gamma radiation associated with nuclear de-excitation. The decay process is fundamentally nuclear. Ordinary changes in temperature or pressure generally do not control nuclear decay rates in the simple school-level treatment.

Full decay law: **N=N₀e⁽-λt)**