2007-05-15 08:46:23 · 6 answers · asked by livefast_dieyoung 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Not neccesarily. Uranium has an extremely high radioactivity, but has a half life of thousands of years.
2007-05-15 08:49:25 · answer #1 · answered by jcann17 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you mean by "high radioactivity".
If "high radioactivity" means high energy gamma (or beta) radiation, then the answer is no. Half life and energy of the emitted radiation are independant. There are some long-lived isotopes that are not very dangerous because the energy of the radiation is not very high. The Americium inside smoke detectors is one example. On the other hand, there are some very short lived isotopes that emit very energetic gamma and beta.
If "high radioactivity" means the Curie level of the emitted gamma, beta, or alpha, then the answer is generally yes. The faster the rate of emitted radioactive rays/particles (no matter how much energy they contain or don't contain) the shorter the half-life.
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2007-05-15 15:56:37 · answer #2 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It tends to go that way, but it isn't a hard and fast rule. You can have something that emits just a few very-high energy radiation particles that can maintain high radioactivity for a long time.
2007-05-15 16:40:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It would have to, right? The level of radioactivity is measured by counting how many particles are given off per second. Fewer particles, lower radioactivity. If very few atoms decay every second, then very few particles are given off every second and it takes longer for them all to decay, which means the half life is long. If large numbers of atoms decay every second then large numbers of particles are given off every second and the half life is short.
But I suppose the type of particle given off and the energy that each particle has must be factored in for purposes of determining health risk. There could be small numbers of energetic and damaging particles given off by one long half life material and larger numbers of less energetic, less damaging particles given off by another. But purely in numbers of particles given off, there must be fewer for longer half life elements.
2007-05-15 15:52:00 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not necessarily. It depends on the stability of the atom, not the radioactivity on its own.
2007-05-15 15:49:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes
2007-05-15 17:22:05 · answer #6 · answered by qrispont 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋