Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 32 minutes ago
Radioactive decay is a random phenomena, meaning that the decay of an individual nucleus is unpredictable.
In this video I demonstrate a simple experiment to simulate decay, using dice. Each die represents an individual nucleus. Each time the dice are shaken any 6s represent nuclei that have decayed, whereas other numbers represent nuclei that are yet to decay.
In this way, we can simulate the change in number of nuclei (and activity) over time, leading to a better understanding of radioactive half-life.
Radioactive decay is a random phenomena, meaning that the decay of an individual nucleus is unpredictable.
In this video I demonstrate a simple experiment to simulate decay, using dice. Each die represents an individual nucleus. Each time the dice are shaken any 6s represent nuclei that have decayed, whereas other numbers represent nuclei that are yet to decay.
In this way, we can simulate the change in number of nuclei (and activity) over time, leading to a better understanding of radioactive half-life.
