As a radio active material gets older, does it emit less, more or a constant level of radiation per second?
There is less matter to convert, and it takes the same time per atom. Of course the activity is less.
As a radioactive material decays over time, it emits radiation through the process of radioactive decay. This decay occurs at a constant rate characterized by the half-life of the material, which is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay.
So, as time passes and the material gets older, the number of radioactive atoms present decreases. This means that there is less matter available to undergo radioactive decay and consequently, there will be a decrease in the emission of radiation.
The rate at which the material emits radiation, known as the activity, is directly tied to the number of radioactive atoms remaining. Since there are fewer atoms as the material ages, the activity will decrease over time.
Therefore, as a radioactive material gets older, it emits less radiation per second.