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Basically, a particle undergoes radioactive disintegration to attain stability... But how can it get stable when it is said that 100% of it is not completely disintegrated?

Basically, a particle undergoes radioactive disintegration to attain stability...


But how can it get stable when it is said that 100% of it is not completely disintegrated?

Grade:12

2 Answers

SAGAR SINGH - IIT DELHI
878 Points
13 years ago

Dear student,

Radioactive elements such as uranium (U) and thorium (Th) decay naturally to form different elements or isotopes of the same element. (Isotopes are atoms of any elements that differ in mass from that element, but possess the same general chemical and optical properties.)

This decay is accompanied by the emission of radiation or particles (alpha, beta, or gamma rays) from the nucleus, by nuclear capture, or by ejection of orbital electrons. A number of isotopes decay to a stable product, a so-called daughter isotope, in a single step (for example, carbon-14), whereas others involve many steps before a stable isotope is formed. Multi-step radioactive decay series include, for example, the uranium-235, uranium-238, and thorium-232 families. If a daughter isotope is stable, it accumulates until the parent isotope has completely decayed. If a daughter isotope is also radioactive, however, equilibrium is reached when the daughter decays as fast as it is formed.

 

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Sagar Singh

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anuj tyagi
15 Points
13 years ago

basically what happens is that every thing in this universe tries to attain a more stable state than it's present state.....

this is why as the radioactive isotope keeps on disintegrating  so the amount of it remaining unstable decreases every time although it is never 100 % complete but the since very few quantity of the isotope is left therefore it on a whole is much more stable than the full isotope remaining disintegrated.........

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