Frequency
Frequency is the measurement of the number of occurrences of a repeated event per unit of time. It is also defined as the rate of change of phase of a sinusoidal waveform
Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the process in which unstable atoms lose energy by emitting radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide transforming to an atom of a different type, called the daughter nuclide. For example: a carbon-14 atom (the "parent") emits radiation and transforms to a nitrogen-14 atom (the "daughter.") This is a random process on the atomic level, in that it is impossible to predict when a particular atom will decay, but given a large number of similar atoms, the decay rate, on average, is predictable.
The
SI unit of radioactive decay is the
becquerel (Bq). One Bq is defined as one transformation (or decay) per second. Since any reasonably-sized sample of radioactive material contains very many atoms, a Bq is a tiny measure of activity; amounts on the order of TBq (terabecquerels) or GBq (gigabecquerels) are commonly used. Another unit of decay is the
curie, which was originally defined as the radioactivity of one gram of pure
radium, and is equal to 3.7 X 10
10 Bq.
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