Radioactive Decay and Half-Life Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic atomic decay processes, isotopes, and half-life concepts from the lecture.

Mole (of Carbon 12)

The amount of a substance contained in $12\,\text{grams}$ of carbon 12, consisting of $6.02 \times 10^{23}$ carbon 12 atoms.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have the same atomic number (number of protons) but differ in their number of neutrons.

Beta Decay

A type of radioactive decay where a neutron turns into a proton by emitting an electron (beta particle), leaving the mass number unchanged while increasing the atomic number.

Positron Emission

A radioactive decay process where a proton inside an atomic nucleus is converted into a neutron.

Beta Particle

An electron released during beta decay, described as having a $-1$ charge and relatively zero mass.

Half-Life

The time period over which any individual atom of a radioactive isotope has a 50% probability of decaying.

Carbon 14

A radioactive isotope of carbon containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons, possessing a half-life of 5,740 years.

Nitrogen 14

The atom containing 7 protons and 7 neutrons that is formed as a result of the beta decay of carbon 14.