why are some elements radioactive?

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why are some elements radioactive?

2007-02-04 10:34:08 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment

3 answers

Plutonium, Uranium, Thorium, they all have radioactive isotopes and they are a lot more, but those are the highest on their way down to the radioactive decay, eventually ending up as lead, which isn't really radioactive, but is poisonous to us anyways.

2007-02-04 10:37:57 · answer #1 · answered by locomonohijo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋

The nucleus is unstable because it barely has enough energy to hold it all together. A slight disturbance--for example, a stray neutron hitting the nucleus--can cause a part of it to break off.

2007-02-04 10:50:03 · answer #2 · answered by rabid_scientist 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋

Somewhere ben lodden.

2007-02-04 10:44:21 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋