Answers to GCSE Radioactive Decay

Practice Questions

1.Explain why Carbon-12 does not undergo radioactive decay, but carbon-14 will undergo radioactive decay.

Carbon 12 has a stable nucleus with the correct ratio of protons to neutrons. Carbon-14 has an unstable nucleus with the incorrect ratio of protons to neutrons

2. State what can be emitted during radioactive decay

1. Alpha particles

2. Beta particles

3. Gamma waves

4. Neutron

3.Describe how the nucleus changes during the following decay types:

3a. Alpha emission

The nucleus will lose 2 protons and 2 neutrons. 

3b. Beta emission

A neutron turns into a proton, so one less neutron and one more proton

3c. Gamma emission

The nucleus does not change in terms of particles, but it will have less energy