Table of Contents
- 1 What is the meaning of radioactivity?
- 2 Where does the word radioactivity come from?
- 3 What is radioactivity Wikipedia?
- 4 How was radioactivity discovered?
- 5 What is meant by radioactivity name two radioactive substances?
- 6 Who discovered radioactive elements?
- 7 What is the meaning of radioactive in English?
- 8 What is the root word of radiation?
- 9 What is the unit of activity in radioactivity?
What is the meaning of radioactivity?
Definition of radioactivity : the property possessed by some elements (such as uranium) or isotopes (such as carbon 14) of spontaneously emitting energetic particles (such as electrons or alpha particles) by the disintegration of their atomic nuclei also : the rays emitted.
Where does the word radioactivity come from?
The French word for it is radio-actif, which was invented by Pierre and Marie Curie, who combined radiationem, Latin for “a shining” with actif, French for “active.”
What is radioactivity Wikipedia?
Radioactivity is a measure of the total, local rate of radionuclides decaying per unit time and is dependent upon the total number of atoms, decay constants, and all decay branching pathways for each radionuclide present.
What is radioactivity and how was it discovered?
In 1896 Henri Becquerel was using naturally fluorescent minerals to study the properties of x-rays, which had been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen. The new radiation was bent by the magnetic field so that the radiation must be charged and different than x-rays. …
What is the meaning of radioactive elements?
Radioactive elements are made up of atoms whose nuclei are unstable and give off atomic radiation as part of a process of attaining stability. The emission of radiation transforms radioactive atoms into another chemical element, which may be stable or may be radioactive such that it undergoes further decay.
How was radioactivity discovered?
In 1896 Henri Becquerel was using naturally fluorescent minerals to study the properties of x-rays, which had been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen. Becquerel used an apparatus similar to that displayed below to show that the radiation he discovered could not be x-rays. …
What is meant by radioactivity name two radioactive substances?
Name two radioactive substances. Solution: Radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon. It is the process of spontaneous emission of α or β and γ radiations from the nucleus of atoms during their decay. Uranium and radium are the two radioactive substances.
Who discovered radioactive elements?
March 1, 1896: Henri Becquerel Discovers Radioactivity. In one of the most well-known accidental discoveries in the history of physics, on an overcast day in March 1896, French physicist Henri Becquerel opened a drawer and discovered spontaneous radioactivity.
Who coined the word radioactivity?
Marie Curie
They figured out how to measure the intensity of the radioactivity, and soon found other radioactive elements: polonium, thorium and radium. Marie Curie coined the term “radioactivity” to describe the new phenomenon.
Who came up with the term radioactivity?
Marie Curie coined the term “radioactivity” to describe the new phenomenon. Soon Ernest Rutherford separated the new rays into alpha, beta and gamma radiation, and in 1902 Rutherford and Frederick Soddy explained radioactivity as a spontaneous transmutation of elements.
What is the meaning of radioactive in English?
English Language Learners Definition of radioactive : having or producing a powerful and dangerous form of energy (called radiation) See the full definition for radioactive in the English Language Learners Dictionary
What is the root word of radiation?
n. mid-15c., “act or process of radiating,” from Middle French radiation and directly from Latin radiationem (nominative radiatio) “a shining, radiation,” noun of action from past participle stem of radiare “to beam, shine, gleam; make beaming,” from radius “beam of light; spoke of a wheel” (see radius).
What is the unit of activity in radioactivity?
Activity (radioactivity): the property of certain nuclides of emitting radiation by spontaneous transformation of their nuclei. Various units of (radio)activity have been used including curie (1 Ci = 3.7 x 10 10 disintegrations per second) and becquerel ( 1 Bq = 1 disintegration per second).
What is background radiation in chemistry?
Background radiation: ionizing radiation from natural sources, such as terrestrial radiation due to radionuclides in the soil or cosmic radiation originating in outer space. Becquerel (Bq): ( Animation) the amount of a radioactive material that will undergo one decay (disintegration) per second.