Define the activity of an unstable nucleus
Activity is the rate at which a source of unstable nuclei decays.
What is the unit of radioactive activity?
Becquerel (Bq)
What is count-rate?
The number of radioactive decays per second for a radioactive source.
Give an example of a detector that may be used to measure count-rate.
Geiger-Muller Tube
Describe the nature of radioactive decay
Random
It is impossible to predict which nuclei will decay and when
Define half-life
The time it takes for the number of unstable nuclei in a substance to halve
or
The time it takes for the count rate from a sample to fall to half its initial level