Main Page What is an Atom? o Atomic Mass Units o Atomic Shorthand o Nuclides & Isotopes Why Are Some Atoms Radioactive? o Radiation and Radioactivity o Hal!"ie o #ecay $hains o Radioactive %&uili'rium o $uries o Alpha Particles o (eta Particles o )amma Rays o *ther #ecay Modes Radioactive e&uili'rium or a decay chain occurs +hen the each radionuclide decays at the same rate it is produced, At e&uili'rium- all radionuclides decay at the same rate, Understanding the e&uili'rium or a given decay series- helps scientists estimate the amount o radiation that +ill 'e present at various stages o the decay, .or e/ample- as uranium!012 'egins to decay to thorium!013- the amount o thorium and its activity increase, %ventually the rate o thorium decay e&uals its production its concentration then remains constant, As thorium decays to proactinium!013- the concentration o proactinium! 013 and its activity rise until its production and decay rates are e&ual, When the production and decay rates o each radionuclide in the decay chain are e&ual- the chain has reached radioactive e&uili'rium, %&uili'rium occurs in many cases, Ho+ever i the hal!lie o the decay product is much longer than that o the original radionuclide- e&uili'rium cannot occur, 4he graphs 'elo+ illustrate the progress o ingro+th- and its eect on overall activity- and the potential or radioactive e&uili'rium in three general cases, the original radionuclide and decay product hal!lives are similar the original radionuclide has a much longer hal!lie the decay product has a longer hal!lie .or simplicity5s sa6e- the illustrations assume that the decay chain is only t+o steps the decay product decays to a sta'le nuclide, As decay chains lengthen- the calculations 'ecome more comple/, Radionuclide and Decay Product Half-Lives re !imilar When the hal!lie o the original radionuclide is only slightly longer or a'out the same as the hal lie o the decay product- the total activity rises initially, 4his results rom the com'ined decay o 'oth radionuclides, 7It pea6s slightly 'eore the activity o the decay product does,8 %ventually a 'alance 7e&uili'rium8 is reached, 4he total activity then decays at a'out the same rate as the original radionuclide, 4his is 6no+n as 9transient e&uili'rium, 4op o page Radionuclide Has a "uc# Longer Half-Life When the hal!lie o the original radionuclide is much longer than the hal!lie o the decay product- the decay product generates radiation more &uic6ly, Within a'out : hal lives o the decay product- their activities are e&ual- and the amount o radiation 7activity8 is dou'led, (eyond this point- the decay product decays at the same rate it is produced a state called 9secular e&uili'rium, 4op o page Decay Product Has a Longer Half-Life I the hal!lie o the decay products is much longer than that o the original radionuclide- its activity 'uilds up to a ma/imum and then declines, 4he original radionuclide eventually decays a+ay and no e&uili'rium occurs,