chp.8 Radioactivity

• Radioactivity

  spontaneous breaking up of unstable nuclei with the emission of one or more types of radiation
• nuclear reaction


  process that alters the composition structure or energy of an atomic nucleus
• half-life


  time taken for half of the nuclei in any given sample to decay
• radioisotope


  radioactive isotope
• radiocarbon dating


  determine age of an object containing carbon. based on ratio of carbon 14 to carbon 12