radioactive element
Decaying atomic substance
A radioactive element is a chemical element whose atoms have unstable nuclei that decay over time, releasing energy as radiation.
Some elements like uranium and radium are naturally radioactive; others become radioactive through nuclear reactions.
Exposure to radioactive elements can cause radiation sickness.
The term appears in discussions of nuclear power, medical imaging, and environmental contamination.
- californiumSynthetic actinide, number ninety-eight
- technetiumFirst artificially produced element
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- einsteiniumSynthetic actinide, number ninety-nine
- radiotherapyMedical radiation for cancer
protactinium · fermium · thorium · nuclear reactor · fuel rod · alpha decay · nuclear power · francium · radium · americium · curium · carbon dating · polonium · beta decay · smoke detectors · gamma decay · bismuth · atomic number