This introduction covers Unstable Nuclei within Radioactive Decay for GCSE Physics. Revise Radioactive Decay in Atomic Structure for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 6 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 1 of 14
Practice
13 questions
Recall
6 flashcards
⚛️ Unstable Nuclei
Some atomic nuclei are unstable — they have the wrong balance of protons and neutrons, or simply too much energy. These nuclei will spontaneously "decay" by emitting particles or energy to become more stable. You can't predict WHEN a specific nucleus will decay (it's completely random!), but you can predict how many from a large sample will decay. This is radioactivity — discovered accidentally by Henri Becquerel in 1896 when uranium fogged his photographic plates!