what is radioactive decay measured in
The rate of radioactive decay is commonly measured in a length of time called a half-life. The half-life is the amount of time it takes for half of a given amount of a radioactive isotope to decay away.It's an easy way to get a feel for how long a substance takes to decay, and it's a great way to begin a comparison of the activity of one isotope to another.adioactive decay is the spontaneous change or disintegration of an unstable atomic nucleus as it transforms itself to lose energy.
The rate of decay is conveniently expressed in terms of an isotope's half-life, or the time it takes for one-half of a particular radioactive isotope in a sample to decay.nother important atomic clock used for dating purposes is based on the radioactive decay of the isotope carbon-14, which has a half-life of 5,730 years. Carbon-14 is produced continuously in the Earth's upper atmosphere as a result of the bombardment of nitrogen by neutrons from cosmic rays.