Key Stage 4
Meaning
Unstable Isotopes are isotopes which radioactively decay to form new stable isotopes of the same element or a different element.
About Unstable Isotopes
- An isotope may be unstable if:
- It has too many neutrons
- It has too few neutrons
- The nucleus is too massive.
- It has excess vibrational energy.
- An unstable isotope may decay causing it to transmute into a new element or a more stable isotope of the same element by releasing a particle from the nucleus.
- An unstable isotope may be too massive so it can lose an alpha particle to become a less massive element or it can split into two smaller, more stable elements in a process called nuclear fission.
- An unstable isotope may be vibrating with excess energy so to lose this energy it will emit gamma radiation.