Decay Constant

It is defined in the equation

where A is the activity and N the number of nuclei.
This is also written as

It's the constant of proportionality in the equation relating the activity of a sample to the number
of active nuclei present in it. It is a rate constant of 1st order reaction, it's unit is second-1
its value doesn't depend on temperature. The physical significance of the decay constant is the
probability of an individual nucleus decaying per second, and it is the constant of proportionality.
It signifies the probability of an active nucleus decaying in an interval of one second.
Or, the fraction of nuclei that decay in a sample in unit time.
Radioactive Equilibrium
Radioactive equilibrium for a decay chain occurs when the each radionuclide decays at the same
rate it is produced. At equilibrium, all radionuclides decay at the same rate. Understanding the
equilibrium for a given decay series, helps scientists estimate the amount of radiation that will be
present at various stages of the decay.
For example, as uranium-238 begins to decay to thorium-234, the amount of thorium and its
activity increase. Eventually the rate of thorium decay equals its production its concentration
then remains constant. As thorium decays to proactinium-234, the concentration of proactinium234 and its activity rise until its production and decay rates are equal. When the production and
decay rates of each radionuclide in the decay chain are equal, the chain has reached radioactive
equilibrium.
Equilibrium occurs in many cases. However if the half-life of the decay product is much
longer than that of the original radionuclide, equilibrium cannot occur. The graphs below
illustrate the progress of ingrowth, and its effect on overall activity, and the potential for
radioactive equilibrium in three general cases.
the original radionuclide and decay product half-lives are similar
the original radionuclide has a much longer half-life
the decay product has a longer half-life
For simplicity's sake, the illustrations assume that the decay chain is only two steps the decay
productdecays to a stable nuclide. As decay chains lengthen, the calculations become
more complex.

Radionuclide and Decay Product Half-Lives Are Similar

1

When the half-life of the original radionuclide is only slightly longer or about the same as
the half life of the decay product, the total activity rises initially. This results from the combined
decay of both radionuclides. (It peaks slightly before the activity of the decay product does.)
Eventually a balance (equilibrium) is reached.
The total activity then decays at about the same rate as the original radionuclide. This is known
as "transient equilibrium.
Radionuclide Has a Much Longer Half-Life

When the half-life of the original radionuclide is much longer than the half-life of the decay
product, the decay product generates radiation more quickly. Within about 7 half lives of the
decay product, their activities are equal, and the amount of radiation (activity) is doubled.
Beyond this point, the decay product decays at the same rate it is produced a state called "secular
equilibrium.

Decay Product Has a Longer Half-Life

If the half-life of the decay products is much longer than that of the original radionuclide, its
activity builds up to a maximum and then declines. The original radionuclide eventually decays
away and no equilibrium occurs.
It is a situation (not a true equilibrium) in which a particular atom is being produced by
the radioactive breakdown of a precursor while it is itself breaking down, the two breakdowns
matching so that over a period of time the ratio of radioactivity of product and precursor
is constant. This is a state characterized by stable ratios between the activities of successive
radionuclides of a radioactive series, for which the radioactive half-life of the parent nuclide is
longer than that of any other member of the series.
If the precursor half-life is so long that the change in the precursor population during
the period of interest can be ignored, all the activities become sensibly equal and the equilibrium
is said to be secular, otherwise it is said to be transient.
Group displacement law
Fajan, Russel and Soddy (1913) gave group displacement law which states that on the emission
of an -particle the new element lies two columns left in the periodic table and mass number
decreases by 4 units, and on the emission of a -particle the new element lies one column right
in the periodic table and mass number remains the same. For example:
In alpha decay, an element is created with an atomic number less by 2 and a mass
number less by four of that of the parent radioisotope, e.g.:

In beta decay, the mass number remains unchanged while the atomic number becomes
greater by 1 than that of the parent radioisotope, e.g.:

This corresponds to decay or electron emission, the only form of beta

decay which had been observed when Fajans and Soddy proposed their law in 1913.
Later, in the 1930s, other forms of beta decay known as + decay (positron emission)
and electron capture were discovered, in which the atomic number becomes less by 1
than that of the parent radioisotope, e.g.,:

To find number of a, b particles:

Number of a-particles =
Number of b-particles =
Ex.

Number of

-particles =

Number of

-particles =
Radioactive Disintegration Series

Since radioactive disintegration is a continuous process hence a series can be drawn which is
known as radioactive disintegration series. There are four such series:

(i) Thorium series (4n series) begins with

and ends at

(ii) Neptunium series (4n + 1series) begains with

. [Mass is fully divided by 4]

. [here reminder is one]

(iii) Uranium series (4n + 2 series) begins with

. [here reminder is 2]

(iv) Actinium series (4n + 3 series) begins with

Number of

. [here reminder is 3]

-particles emitted during these series.

Series

4n

6
4

(4n+1)

8
5

(4n+2)

(4n+3)