• Question: What does it mean when something is called radioactive?

    Asked by A Swann to Stefan, Anna on 17 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Anna Scaife

      Anna Scaife answered on 17 Nov 2014:

      When something is called radioactive it means that it can spontaneously (i.e. on it’s own without any help) emit radiation. That radiation can be harmful, but it isn’t always.

    • Photo: Stefan Lines

      Stefan Lines answered on 18 Nov 2014:

      Radioactive material is unstable, and the atoms in it decay into more stable states. In this process they emit radiation; either alpha, beta or gamma.

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