Atoms and Decay
- Decay makes atoms disappear: The belief that after an atom decays, nothing
is left, rather than it changing into a different, more stable element. - Half-life is the “Total Life”: Thinking that if the half-life is 10 years, the
substance will be completely gone in 20 years. - Atoms “Choose” when to decay: The idea that older atoms are more likely to
decay than younger ones, failing to realize it is a purely random process. - Nuclear Power is a “Small Bomb”: The belief that a nuclear reactor can
explode like an atomic bomb (which is physically impossible due to the grade of
fuel used).