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  2. Exponential decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_decay

    A quantity is subject to exponential decay if it decreases at a rate proportional to its current value. Symbolically, this process can be expressed by the following differential equation , where N is the quantity and λ ( lambda ) is a positive rate called the exponential decay constant , disintegration constant , [1] rate constant , [2] or ...

  3. Radioactive decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_decay

    Category. v. t. e. 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 ...

  4. Particle decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_decay

    Particle decay. In particle physics, particle decay is the spontaneous process of one unstable subatomic particle transforming into multiple other particles. The particles created in this process (the final state) must each be less massive than the original, although the total mass of the system must be conserved.

  5. Half-life - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-life

    Half-life (symbol t½) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable atoms survive. The term is also used more generally to characterize any type of exponential (or, rarely ...

  6. Orbital decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_decay

    t. e. Orbital decay is a gradual decrease of the distance between two orbiting bodies at their closest approach (the periapsis) over many orbital periods. These orbiting bodies can be a planet and its satellite, a star and any object orbiting it, or components of any binary system. If left unchecked, the decay eventually results in termination ...

  7. Curie (unit) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curie_(unit)

    37 GBq. SI base unit. 3.7 × 1010 s −1. Sample of cobalt-60 that emits 1 μCi (microcurie) of radioactivity; i.e. 37,000 decays per second. The curie (symbol Ci) is a non- SI unit of radioactivity originally defined in 1910. According to a notice in Nature at the time, it was to be named in honour of Pierre Curie, [1] but was considered at ...

  8. Bateman equation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bateman_equation

    In nuclear physics, the Bateman equation is a mathematical model describing abundances and activities in a decay chain as a function of time, based on the decay rates and initial abundances. The model was formulated by Ernest Rutherford in 1905 [1] and the analytical solution was provided by Harry Bateman in 1910. [2]

  9. Newton's law of cooling - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_law_of_cooling

    Newton's law of cooling. In the study of heat transfer, Newton's law of cooling is a physical law which states that the rate of heat loss of a body is directly proportional to the difference in the temperatures between the body and its environment. The law is frequently qualified to include the condition that the temperature difference is small ...