Exam-style question
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Which statement best describes the randomness of radioactive decay?.
- A.All nuclei decay at the same time.
- B.Decay can be predicted with certainty.
- C.Each nucleus has a probability of decaying.
- D.Decay is influenced by temperature.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Each nucleus has a probability of decaying.
Explanation
Why this works
The randomness of radioactive decay is due to the inherent instability of certain nuclei, which means that each nucleus has a specific probability of decaying over a given time period. This probabilistic nature leads to the effect that while we can predict decay rates statistically, we cannot determine when an individual nucleus will decay, which is crucial in understanding nuclear processes.
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