Timeline for Why every atom of a radioactive element, though being indistinguishable in every aspect, doesn't decay simultaneously? [duplicate]
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| Nov 17, 2017 at 21:20 | history | closed |
Mithoron paracetamol Jon Custer andselisk♦ airhuff |
Duplicate of In a sample of radioactive substance all the atoms don't disintegrate simultaneously. Why? | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 16:16 | comment | added | Mithoron | That's only a more elaborate version of earlier one, your lack of satisfaction with earlier answers is supposed to be reason to not dupe it? Also it's not exactly about chemistry. Best answer is that's first order reaction which we don't have means to observe directly, unlike some chemical ones which were studied using femtosecond spectroscopy. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 16:10 | review | Close votes | |||
| Nov 17, 2017 at 21:20 | |||||
| Nov 17, 2017 at 16:05 | comment | added | chail10 | @Mithoron no offense, but I would request you to go through my question again, please. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 16:01 | comment | added | Mithoron | Not enough. Also chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/19564/… | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 15:56 | comment | added | chail10 | @Mithoron I have already clarified in the beginning of the question that it is similar but not duplicate! | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 14:48 | comment | added | Jon Custer | @IvanNeretin - no, it is just the nucleus that is dumb (must be something to do with the strong force?) - electrons can solve Schrodingeer's equation in their sleep... | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 14:46 | comment | added | Ivan Neretin | @TAR86 Atoms don't have memory of their age, that's the point. Atoms are dumb. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 14:32 | comment | added | TAR86 | While probability is entirely sufficient to explain this, also consider that not all the atoms in your sample necessarily were formed at the same time - they may be the result of several supernovae etc. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 14:14 | comment | added | Zhe | The universe is probabilistic. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 13:56 | comment | added | Ivan Neretin | For all we know, there is no x-factor. The atoms are identical, and then one of them just up and decays, while the other continues to wait for another hour, or maybe a year. It is just blind chance, as random as it gets. | |
| Nov 17, 2017 at 13:49 | history | asked | chail10 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |