Radioactive decay - Wikipedia Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay
What Is Radioactivity? - Energy. gov As its name implies, radioactivity is the act of emitting radiation spontaneously This is done by an atomic nucleus that, for some reason, is unstable; it "wants" to give up some energy in order to shift to a more stable configuration
Radioactivity and the Types of Radioactive Decay Radioactivity is the spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation from nuclear decay and reactions The three main types of radioactive decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay, but there are other nuclear reactions responsible for radioactivity