Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay.
In nuclear science a decay chain refers to the predictable series of radioactive disintegrations undergone by the nuclei of certain unstable chemical elements. Radioactive isotopes do not usually decay directly to stable isotopes, but rather into another radioisotope. The isotope produced by this radioactive emission then decays into another ...
The decay of uranium, ... and other systems can be affected by uranium exposure, because, besides being weakly radioactive, uranium is a toxic metal. ...
238 U abundance and its decay to daughter isotopes comprises multiple uranium dating techniques and is one of the most common radioactive isotopes used in radiometric dating. The most common dating method is uranium-lead dating , which is used to date rocks older than 1 million years old and has provided ages for the oldest rocks on Earth at 4. ...
Uranium (92 U) is a naturally occurring radioactive element (radioelement) with no stable isotopes. It has two primordial isotopes, uranium-238 and uranium-235, that have long half-lives and are found in appreciable quantity in Earth's crust. The decay product uranium-234 is also found.
Uranium-235 (235 U or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium.Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction.
In general, those rules call for more precautions when enriched uranium, spent nuclear fuel or highly radioactive waste is involved. Uranium ore falls into a different category.
If using a thorium fuel to produce fissile 233 U, the SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel) will have 233 U, with a half-life of 159,200 years (unless this uranium is removed from the spent fuel by a chemical process). The presence of 233 U will affect the long-term radioactive decay of the spent fuel.