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Realistically, there are only a fixed number of atoms in a radioactive sample, and so the mass of an isotope will eventually reach zero as all the nuclei decay into another element.

Will a radioactive sample ever completely decay?

Yes, the decay half-life of a radioactive material can be changed. Radioactive decay happens when an unstable atomic nucleus spontaneously changes to a lower-energy state and spits out a bit of radiation. This process changes the atom to a different element or a different isotope.

Why is radioactive decay not constant?

According to quantum theory, radioactive decay is a stochastic process at the level of single atoms, in that it is impossible to predict when a particular atom will decay regardless of how long the atom has existed.

What happens when a radioactive element decays completely?

When it decays, a radionuclide transforms into a different atom – a decay product. The atoms keep transforming to new decay products until they reach a stable state and are no longer radioactive.

Why does radiation never fall to zero?

The radioactivity from some substances dies away very fast – perhaps in a few microseconds. Others take thousands of years before you'll notice that the radioactivity had decreased at all. In theory, every radioactive substance should stay slightly radioactive for ever – the graph should never actually fall to zero.

Why is radioactive decay random?

The randomness of the nuclear decays is due to this quantum mechanical probabilistic underpinning: A nucleus does not "age" with the passage of time. Thus, the probability of its breaking down does not increase with time, but stays constant no matter how long the nucleus has existed.

Why do atoms decay at different times?

Atoms don't age. Atoms radioactively decay when a lower-energy nuclear configuration exists to which they can transition. The actual decay event of an individual atom happens randomly and is not the result of the atom getting old or changing through time.

Is the decay constant a constant?

decay constant, proportionality between the size of a population of radioactive atoms and the rate at which the population decreases because of radioactive decay.

Why does radioactive decay happen?

Radioactive decay involves the spontaneous transformation of one element into another. The only way that this can happen is by changing the number of protons in the nucleus (an element is defined by its number of protons). There are a number of ways that this can happen and when it does, the atom is forever changed.

What happens to the half-life of a radioactive substance as it decays?

The half-life of a radioactive substance is a characteristic constant. It measures the time it takes for a given amount of the substance to become reduced by half as a consequence of decay, and therefore, the emission of radiation.