What does being radioactive mean?

As its name implies, radioactivity is the act of emitting radiation spontaneously. This is done by an atomic nucleus that, for some reason, is unstable; it “wants” to give up some energy in order to shift to a more stable configuration.

What does radioactive mean Wikipedia?

Radioactive describes something undergoing radioactive decay, the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus emits radiation.

What is radioactivity and examples?

For example, a light bulb may emit radiation in the forms of heat and light, yet it is not radioactive. A substance that contains unstable atomic nuclei is considered to be radioactive. Radioactive decay is a random or stochastic process that occurs at the level of individual atoms.

What does radioactive do to body?

Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

What radiation causes?

It can come from unstable atoms that undergo radioactive decay, or it can be produced by machines. Radiation travels from its source in the form of energy waves or energized particles. There are different forms of radiation and they have different properties and effects.

What does radioactive do to your body?

Radiation can damage the DNA in our cells. High doses of radiation can cause Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI). High doses of radiation could also lead to cancer later in life.

What is cause of radioactivity?

What causes atoms to be radioactive? Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.