Radioactivity is the act of emitting radiation spontaneously and is done by an atomic nucleus (unstable) to attain a more stable configuration by giving up some energy. Radioactivity is a physical, ...

Radioactive decay produces three flavors of emissions: alpha, beta, and gamma. Alpha particles comprise 2 neutrons and 2 protons. Because of their large mass and relatively slow speed, alpha particles ...

The CERN-MEDICIS facility in Geneva, Switzerland has produced radioisotopes for medical research for the first time. This is the first step in the MEDICIS facility’s plans to make a large number of ...

Nuclear radiation isn't just a single phenomenon, and the effects differ between elements, depending on the kind of radioactive decay they undergo and the parts of the body in which they concentrate.

The radiation emitted from unstable nuclei is called ionising radiation because as it passes through matter it can dislodge outer electrons from atoms causing them to become ions. An alpha particle is ...

However, as the number of protons increases, more neutrons are needed to keep the nucleus stable. For example lead (lead-206) has 82 protons and has 124 neutrons. If the nucleus has too few neutrons, ...