Radioactive Decay - Alpha

Radioactive Decay – Alpha

Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable atoms break down and release energy. In alpha decay, an atom loses two protons and two neutrons—this small particle is called an alpha particle. When this happens, the original atom changes into a new element. For examp...

Radioactive decay happens because some atomic nuclei are unstable. Their particles are not held together strongly enough, so the nucleus releases energy—and sometimes particles—to become more stable.

One type of radioactive decay is alpha decay, which is common in atoms with very large nuclei, such as uranium-238. In this process, the nucl...