What are nuclides and radionuclides?
Nuclide is a term used to categorize different forms of atoms very specifically. Each nuclide has a unique set of characteristics • number of protons • number of neutrons • energy state. If any of these change, the atom becomes a different nuclide. Approximately 3,700 nuclides have been identified. Most of them are radionuclides, meaning they are unstable and undergo radioactive decay.
