Why is tritium radioactive?

Subject: Why is tritium radioactive?

Date: Sat May 24 18:31:24 2003
Posted by Jim Boles
Grade level: teacher/prof School: Little Rock Christian Academy
City: Little Rock State/Province: AR Country: USA
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1053819084.Ph

Message:


Physics and Chemistry testbooks speak of the tension between the 
electromagnetic repulsive forces of the protons in the nucleus and the short 
rangestrong forces of all the nucleons.  In tritium, there is only a proton and 
two neutrons, yet it is radioactive.  Why, then, are there radioactive isotopes 
of even small nuclei?

Re: Why is tritium radioactive?

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