Radioactivity

Radioactivity

• The nucleus contains protons and neutrons and these make up the mass of the atom.
• Relatively speaking, Neutrons and Protons weigh 1, Electrons weigh nothing, or effectively so as they weigh 1/2000 of the weight of either a Proton or Neutron.
• Charge wise, Neutrons are uncharged, but Electrons and Protons have a -1 and +1 charge respectively.
• These charges are what leads to most radioactivity.

Radioactivity 2

• Radioactive decay is a random process, there is no certainty that anything will happen, even if the atom half life states it probably should have by now.