| A | B |
|---|
| chemical reactions | rearrange atoms to form new substances |
| nuclear reactions | rearrange nuclei to form whole new atoms |
| radioactivity | the spontaneous emission of radiation by an unstable nucleus |
| Curie and Becquerel | performed early work with radiation |
| alpha particle | helium nuclei consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons |
| beta particle | high energy electrons with a -1 charge |
| beta decay | the process by which a neutron becomes a proton and an electron |
| gamma ray | a high energy of electromagnetic radiation without mass or charge |
| half life | the amount of time it takes for half of a given amount of radioactive isotope to undergo decay |
| carbon dating | used to determine the age of fossils up to 60,000 years old |
