How is energy conserved in a radioactive decay process?

Energy is conserved in a radioactive decay process through the conversion of mass into energy.

During a radioactive decay process, an unstable atomic nucleus emits particles or electromagnetic radiation to become more stable. This process involves a change in the nucleus's energy level, which is accompanied by the release of energy in the form of radiation. The energy released is equal to the difference between the initial and final energy levels of the nucleus.

According to the mass-energy equivalence principle, energy and mass are interchangeable. Therefore, the energy released during a radioactive decay process is equivalent to the mass lost by the nucleus. This is described by Einstein's famous equation, E=mc², where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light.

The conservation of energy in a radioactive decay process is also related to the conservation of momentum. The particles emitted during a decay process carry momentum, which must be conserved. This means that the nucleus must recoil in the opposite direction to conserve momentum, and the recoil energy must be included in the total energy released.

In summary, energy is conserved in a radioactive decay process through the conversion of mass into energy, as described by Einstein's equation. The conservation of momentum also plays a role in the process, as the particles emitted during decay carry momentum that must be conserved.