Why are the larger elements more unstable and radioactive the closer to the bottom and right of the periodic table you go?
In: Chemistry
We have observed that larger elements break up into smaller elements and in the process release energy. This is because the smaller nuclei are more stable (or rather, iron nucleus is the most stable and stability decreases as you move away from it) and the energy released is the result of achieving this higher stability. Moving to the right and bottom means a heavier nucleus which is further and further away from iron and hence has a lot more “paths” by which it can become more stable through fission (more nucleons, more jiggling, more “paths”). More “paths” means higher likelihood that the nucleus will decay at any time- and so it is more unstable.
Latest Answers