![]() ![]() The decay of radon and its daughters produces internal damage. Since radon is a noble gas, it emanates from materials, such as soil, containing even trace amounts of 238U and can be inhaled. Radon gas is also produced ( 222Rn in the series), an increasingly recognized naturally occurring hazard. The decay series that starts from 238U is of particular interest, since it produces the radioactive isotopes 226Ra and 210Po, which the Curies first discovered (see Figure 1). ![]() Others, such as 238U, decay to another unstable nuclide, resulting in a decay series in which each subsequent nuclide decays until a stable nuclide is finally produced. ![]() For example, 60Co is unstable and decays directly to 60Ni, which is stable. Some radioactive nuclides decay in a single step to a stable nucleus. We call the original nuclide the parent and its decay products the daughters. Unstable nuclides decay (that is, they are radioactive), eventually producing a stable nuclide after many decays. Some nuclides are stable, apparently living forever. In this section, we explore the major modes of nuclear decay and, like those who first explored them, we will discover evidence of previously unknown particles and conservation laws. Nuclear decay gave the first indication of the connection between mass and energy, and it revealed the existence of two of the four basic forces in nature. Nuclear decay has provided an amazing window into the realm of the very small. Calculate the energy emitted during nuclear decay.By the end of this section, you will be able to: ![]()
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