radioactive decay

[Emily Duggan 1F]

Is radioactive decay a first order reaction? If so, why?

[Ozhen Atoyan 1F]

Radioactive decay is a first order reaction because the decay rate is proportional to the first power of radioactive atoms present. Therefore, this matches with first order kinetics.

[Christy Lee 2H]

Does this mean that radioactive decay only works for a reaction if there's one reactant since it's a first order reaction?

[Nehal Banik]

Not sure, one of the reactants can be zero order, or it can be a slow step where on of the reactants doesn't necessarily affect the rate.

[Harjas Sabharwal 1G]

If you think about radioactive decay it almost always involves a large atom decaying into smaller ones or giving off gamma rays (energy), so it is probably safe to say that radioactive decay only has one reactant and thus is first order.