Question:

Which type of reaction order is followed by radioactive processes?

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Always remember that nuclear chemistry and chemical kinetics are deeply linked: every single radioactive decay, alpha or beta emission, or artificial transmutation behaves strictly as a first-order kinetic process.
Updated On: Jun 4, 2026
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to determine the specific reaction kinetic order typically followed by all natural radioactive decay processes.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Radioactive decay is a purely spontaneous, statistical nuclear phenomenon.
The rate of disintegration or decay of a radioactive sample at any given instant is directly proportional to the total number of active radioactive nuclei ($N$) present in the sample at that moment:
$$ -\frac{dN}{dt} \propto N \implies -\frac{dN}{dt} = \lambda N $$ Here, $\lambda$ represents the radioactive decay constant.
Since the rate of the process depends linearly on the concentration of the single reacting nuclear species raised to the power of 1, all nuclear disintegration processes strictly follow first-order reaction kinetics.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Radioactive processes strictly follow a first-order reaction pathway, which corresponds to option (B).
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