Radioactive Substances and Its Uses
The radioactive decay of uranium was first discovered by Antoine Henri Becquerel in 1896. The Paris physician accidentally discovered that photographic plates wrapped in dark paper were blackened by invisible radiation was capable of discharging an electroscope. In 1898, a France couple, Marie and Pierre Curie, discovered the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Marie Curie also discovered the radioactive element thorium..
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The nucleus of an atom consists of protons and neutrons. The protons and neutrons are bounds together by a strong force and the nucleus is stable. Some nuclei are unstable. They emit radioactive radiation to become more stable nuclei. Medium-sized are more stable than heavy nuclei and light nuclei.
Radioactive substances are elements with unstable nuclei with undergo spontaneous decay to become more stable elements while emitting dangerous and invisible radioactive radiation. The isotopes carbon -14, cobalt -60 and iodine -131 are examples of radioactive substances whereas carbon -12, cobalt -59 and iodine -132 are not radioactive substances. All natural isotopes above the element bismuth in the Periodic Table are highly unstable and radioactive.
Radioactive Decay
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Radioactive decay or radioactivity is a process where an unstable atom becomes a more stable atom by emitting particles or radiation. Radioactive decay is a random process. It is not possible to tell when a particular atom will give out radioactivity. However it is possible to know the time taken for half of a large number of unstable atoms to decay.
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The radioactive decay of uranium was first discovered by Antoine Henri Becquerel in 1896. The Paris physician accidentally discovered that photographic plates wrapped in dark paper were blackened by invisible radiation was capable of discharging an electroscope. In 1898, a France couple, Marie and Pierre Curie, discovered the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Marie Curie also discovered the radioactive element thorium.
Radioactive Radiation
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On July 1, 2009 at 10:36 pm
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On July 1, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Well written. Thanks.
Inna
On July 2, 2009 at 2:36 am
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On July 2, 2009 at 12:46 pm
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On October 28, 2009 at 2:08 pm
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On April 17, 2010 at 11:34 pm
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On November 6, 2010 at 3:37 am
When & why a nucleus becoms unstable? is it an inerent property of a nucleus?
On July 24, 2011 at 9:16 pm
i can not find Its Uses.pl post its uses