radionuclide

Also known as radioactive nuclide, radioactive isotope

thumb|Chart of known nuclides . The vast majority are radionuclides.

AI overview

A radionuclide is a type of atom with an unstable nucleus that releases energy and particles as it breaks down over time. They're important because they're far more common than stable atoms in nature, and understanding them helps us track radioactive materials used in medicine, power generation, and other applications.

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Commons category: Radionuclides

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~20 min read

Article

16 sections

Contents

Production and effects
Origins
Overview
Natural
Nuclear fission
Synthetic
Uses
Examples
Household [[Smoke detector|smoke detectors]]
Impacts on organisms
Summary table for classes of nuclides, stable and radioactive
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|Chart of known nuclides . The vast majority are radionuclides.

A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that is unstable and known to undergo radioactive decay into a different nuclide, which may be another radionuclide (see decay chain) or be stable. Radiation emitted by radionuclides is almost always ionizing radiation because it is energetic enough to liberate an electron from another atom.