Radioactive decay cannot be predicted exactly for a single nucleus because the process is __________.
Random in nature
To solve this question about the nature of radioactive decay, we need to assess each of the provided options:
- Option: Controlled by temperature only - Radioactive decay is a nuclear process that is not influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature. Thus, this option is incorrect.
- Option: Dependent on chemical state always - Radioactive decay is independent of the chemical state of the material. It occurs at a constant rate regardless of the chemical state, so this option is incorrect.
- Option: Random in nature - Radioactive decay is inherently a random process. The decay of a particular nucleus cannot be predicted; we can only predict the probability of decay over time. This makes it random in nature, which is the correct answer.
- Option: Completely deterministic - Since radioactive decay is a random process, it cannot be completely deterministic. This option is incorrect.
In conclusion, the process of radioactive decay cannot be predicted exactly for a single nucleus because it is random in nature. This randomness arises from the quantum mechanical nature of radioactive decay, where we can only statistically predict decay for a large number of nuclei using the concept of half-life.
Similar Questions
The stability of the nucleus is mainly due to the balance between ________.
Beta decay helps unstable nuclei achieve stability mainly by adjusting the __________.
Important Questions from Radioactivity
Radioactivity is measured by
- Which of the following types of radiation exhibits the highest ionization power when interacting with biological tissue?
If N 0 is the original mass of the substance of half life \(t_{\frac{1}{2}}=4\) years, then the amount of substance left after 12 years is :
Cobalt therapy is the medical use of ____________ rays from the radioisotope cobalt60 to treat conditions such as cancer.
Which radioactive isotope has a half - life of 5770 years, which is commonly used to estimate the age of organic materials such as paper and parchment?
