Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology (12th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 1292216239
ISBN 13: 978-1-29221-623-2

Chapter 2 - Basic Chemistry - Review Questions - Page 86: 19

Answer

Radioactivity is the process by which a heavy unstable nucleus spontaneously disintegrates into two other nuclei, releasing enormous amounts of energy and radiation. A radioisotope is the isotope of an element that has an unstable nucleus and is prone to radioactive decay. If an element has three isotopes, then the heaviest isotope is more likely to be a radioisotope because the large number of neutrons in its nucleus might be unstable, although lighter isotopes also might be unstable.

Work Step by Step

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