It is important to understand the half-life and decay mode of a given nuclide and how they are related. The half-life of a nuclide is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample to decay. The decay mode defines the specific type of radiation emitted during the decay process.

Uranium-238

• • Half-Life: 4.468 Billion Years

• • Decay Mode: Alpha Decay

Thorium 232

• • Half-Life: 14 billion years

• • Decay Mode: Alpha Decay

Neptunium-237

• • Half-Life: 2.144 Million Years

• • Decay Mode: Beta Decay

Polonium-210

• • Half-Life: 138.376 Days

• • Decay Mode: Alpha Decay

Plutonium-239

• • Half-Life: 24,110 Years

• • Decay Mode: Alpha Decay

These are just a few examples of nuclides and their associated half-lives and decay modes. It is important to understand the physics behind the decay and half-life of nuclides when dealing with various radiation sources.