Question

'Radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon'. Comment on this statement.

Answer 1

Any physical changes (such as change in pressure and temperature) or chemical changes (such as excessive heating, freezing, action of strong electric and magnetic fields, chemical treatment, oxidation etc.) do not alter the rate of decay of the radioactive substance. This clearly shows that the phenomenon of radioactivity cannot be due to the orbital electrons which could easily be affected by such changes. The radioactivity should therefore be the property of the nucleus. Thus radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon.