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Radioactive Half-Life definitions

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  • Radioactive half-life
    Time required for half of a radioisotope to decay, constant regardless of initial concentration.
  • Radioisotope
    An unstable isotope that emits radiation during its decay process.
  • Alpha decay
    A type of radioactive decay where an alpha particle is emitted from a nucleus.
  • Beta decay
    Radioactive decay involving the emission of a beta particle from a nucleus.
  • Electron capture
    A process where an inner orbital electron is captured by the nucleus of its own atom.
  • Positron emission
    A decay process where a proton in the nucleus is converted into a neutron and a positron.
  • Decay constant
    A proportionality constant in the radioactive decay equation, inversely related to half-life.
  • Ln(2)
    Natural logarithm of 2, approximately equal to 0.693, used in half-life calculations.
  • First order rate law
    A reaction rate that depends linearly on only one reactant concentration.
  • Radiometric dating
    Technique used to date materials by comparing the relative abundance of isotopes.
  • Nuclear medicine
    Medical specialty using radioactive substances in diagnosis and treatment.