Changes

There is a fairly well-known example of chemical state affecting electron capture activity.  The ⁷Be nucleus (Beryllium-7) is an electron capturer with a half-life of about 53 days, turning into Lithium-7.  The variation is about 1.5%.  While this half-life is way too short to be useful for radiometric dating, the effect of the chemical state is noticeable.  The reason is that, because the atomic number is only four, the 2s valence electrons are very close to the 1s electrons involved in capture.<ref>Huh, C.-A., Dependence of the decay rate of ⁷Be on chemical forms, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 171:325–328, 1999.</ref>  See [[Systematics of beta decay]] for more details.

There is a fairly well-known example of chemical state affecting electron capture activity.  The ⁷Be nucleus (Beryllium-7) is an electron capturer with a half-life of about 53 days, turning into Lithium-7.  The variation is about 1.5%.  While this half-life is way too short to be useful for radiometric dating, the effect of the chemical state is noticeable.  The reason is that, because the atomic number is only four, the 2s valence electrons are very close to the 1s electrons involved in capture.<ref>Huh, C.-A., Dependence of the decay rate of ⁷Be on chemical forms, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 171:325–328, 1999.</ref>  See [[Systematics of beta decay]] for more details.

There is no reason to expect that the rate of decay of a radioactive material is largely constant,<ref>At least one example of a change in the rate has been observed in laboratory experiments.  See Walker, 2000.</ref> and it was almost certainly not constant near the creation or beginning of the universe.<ref>Multiple references:

There is no reason to expect that the rate of decay of a radioactive material is largely constant,<ref>At least one example of a change in the rate has been observed in laboratory experiments.  See Walker, 2000.</ref> and it was almost certainly not constant near the creation or beginning of the universe.

*Sibley, Andrew (August 2013). [https://creation.com/radioactive-decay-rates-and-solar-activity Variable radioactive decay rates and the changes in solar activity]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 27(2):3–4''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.

<ref>Sibley, Andrew (August 2013). [https://creation.com/radioactive-decay-rates-and-solar-activity Variable radioactive decay rates and the changes in solar activity]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 27(2):3–4''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Wieland, Carl. [https://creation.com/rate-group-reveals-exciting-breakthroughs RATE group reveals exciting breakthroughs!]. ''''Creation Ministries International''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Walker, Tas (April 2000). [https://creation.com/radioactive-decay-rate-depends-on-chemical-environment Radioactive decay rate depends on chemical environment]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 14(1):4–5''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Woodmorappe, John (August 2001). [https://creation.com/billion-fold-acceleration-of-radioactivity-demonstrated-in-laboratory Billion-fold acceleration of radioactivity demonstrated in laboratory]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 15(2):4–6''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Thomas, Brian (August 5, 2009). [https://www.icr.org/article/4816 Radioactive Decay Rates Not Stable]. ''Institute for Creation Research''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Snelling, Andrew A. (October 1, 2009). [https://answersingenesis.org/geology/radiometric-dating/radiometric-dating-problems-with-the-assumptions/ Radiometric Dating: Problems with the Assumptions]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref><ref>Knapp, Alex (May 3, 2011). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/05/03/radioactive-decay-rates-may-not-be-constant-after-all/#4634f095147f Radioactive Decay Rates May Not Be Constant After All]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref>

*Wieland, Carl. [https://creation.com/rate-group-reveals-exciting-breakthroughs RATE group reveals exciting breakthroughs!]. ''''Creation Ministries International''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.

*Walker, Tas (April 2000). [https://creation.com/radioactive-decay-rate-depends-on-chemical-environment Radioactive decay rate depends on chemical environment]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 14(1):4–5''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.

*Woodmorappe, John (August 2001). [https://creation.com/billion-fold-acceleration-of-radioactivity-demonstrated-in-laboratory Billion-fold acceleration of radioactivity demonstrated in laboratory]. ''Creation Ministries International'' (from the ''Journal of Creation 15(2):4–6''). Retrieved January 4, 2018.

*Thomas, Brian (August 5, 2009). [https://www.icr.org/article/4816 Radioactive Decay Rates Not Stable]. ''Institute for Creation Research''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.

*Snelling, Andrew A. (October 1, 2009). [https://answersingenesis.org/geology/radiometric-dating/radiometric-dating-problems-with-the-assumptions/ Radiometric Dating: Problems with the Assumptions]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.

*Knapp, Alex (May 3, 2011). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/05/03/radioactive-decay-rates-may-not-be-constant-after-all/#4634f095147f Radioactive Decay Rates May Not Be Constant After All]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 4, 2018.</ref>

For a fairly technical explanation of the radioactivity process, see the [[[[Radioactivity|radioactivity page]].

For a fairly technical explanation of the radioactivity process, see the [[Radioactivity|radioactivity page]].

=== Outside influences ===

=== Outside influences ===