Physics
‘Radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon’. Comment on this statement.
Radioactivity
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Answer
Any physical change (such as change in pressure and temperature) or chemical change (such as excessive heating, freezing, action of strong electric and magnetic fields, chemical treatment, oxidation etc.) does not change the rate of decay and the nature of radiation emitted by the substance.
This clearly shows that the phenomenon of radioactivity cannot be due to the orbital electrons which could easily be affected by such changes. Therefore the radioactivity should be the property of the nucleus. Thus, radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon.
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