Chemistry 12th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0078021510
ISBN 13: 978-0-07802-151-0

Chapter 19 - Nuclear Chemistry - Questions & Problems - Page 893: 19.23

Answer

Nuclear decay occurs when the nucleus of an atom is unstable and spontaneously emits energy in the form of radiation. The result is that the nucleus changes into the nucleus of one or more other elements. These daughter nuclei have a lower mass and are more stable (lower in energy) than the parent nucleus.

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