Search in full dictionary
HALF-LIFE
HALF-LIFE
ScnMaster
the length of
time
it takes for half the
atoms
of a
particular
radioactive
(giving off, or capable of giving off, radiant
energy
in the
form
of particles or rays by the
spontaneous
disintegration of atomic
nuclei
) substance to
break
down or decay. The half-
life
of a
particular
radioactive
substance is always the
same
and is the
principal
characteristic used to distinguish one
radioactive
substance from another, and to
measure
radioactivity.
—9th
ACC
Volume 2 Approved Glossary