The decaying nucleus is called the parent radionuclide (or parent radioisotope ), and the process produces at least one daughter nuclide. The half-lives of radioactive atoms have a huge range from nearly instantaneous to far longer than the age of the universe. However, for a significant number of identical atoms, the overall decay rate can be expressed as a decay constant or as half-life.
According to quantum theory, it is impossible to predict when a particular atom will decay, regardless of how long the atom has existed. random) process at the level of single atoms. The weak force is the mechanism that is responsible for beta decay, while the other two are governed by the usual electromagnetic and strong forces. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha decay ( 𝛼-decay), beta decay ( 𝛽-decay), and gamma decay ( 𝛾-decay), all of which involve emitting one or more particles. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.
Alpha decay is one type of radioactive decay, in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle, and thereby transforms (or 'decays') into an atom with a mass number decreased by 4 and atomic number decreased by 2.
