Becquerel

The becquerel (symbol: Bq), equivalent to s^-1, is the SI derived unit of radioactivity (A). 1 Bq is defined as the number of times a nucleus decays every second.

Formula

$A = \frac{- d N}{d t} = λ N$

where $N$ is the number of radioactive atoms in a radioactive sample, which has no unit, and $λ$ is the decay constant measuring how fast radioactive decay occurs over time, which depends on the nature of the radioactive sample, particularly the constituent isotopes.

Half-life

The half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms of a sample to decay. It can be found by the simple formula

$t = \frac{0.693}{λ}$ .

Petabecquerel

A petabecquerel corresponds to 10¹⁵ times a Bq. The unit is named in honor of French physicists Henri Becquerel.

Related pages

References

1 2 "Decay constant | Definition, Formula, & Facts". Britannica. Retrieved December 1, 2024.

[Britannica-1] 1 2 "Decay constant | Definition, Formula, & Facts". Britannica. Retrieved December 1, 2024.

v t e SI units
Authority: International System of Units (BIPM)
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