Question

What is radioactivity? Why is it called a spontaneous phenomenon?

Short answer

Radioactivity is the emission of radiation from unstable nuclei. It is spontaneous because it occurs naturally and randomly over time.

Step-by-step solution

- Define Radioactivity

Radioactivity is the process by which certain unstable atomic nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. This occurs when an unstable nucleus transforms into a more stable configuration.

- Explain the Types of Radiation

There are three main types of radiation emitted during radioactive decay: alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. Alpha particles are heavy and positively charged, beta particles are light and can be either negatively or positively charged, and gamma rays are neutral and highly penetrating electromagnetic waves.

- Why Radioactivity Is Spontaneous

Radioactivity is called a spontaneous phenomenon because it occurs without any external influence. The unstable nuclei decay randomly and naturally over time, releasing radiation as they transition to more stable forms. This process cannot be predicted accurately for any single nucleus, but it happens in a statistically predictable manner over a large number of nuclei.

Key concepts

spontaneous decay

Spontaneous decay refers to the natural and unpredictable process through which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation. This process does not require any external trigger and happens randomly, although the overall behavior can be statistically predicted for a large number of nuclei.