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An important aspect of Quantum Mechanics is the predictions it makes about the radioactive decay of isotopes. This decay is random, and the randomness is inherently a quantum mechanical effect. As a result, the decay follows "1st-order kinetics" - typically resulting in an exponential decrease in the amount of isotope present as a function of time. The characteristic time required for 1/2 of the original amount of isotope to decay is known as the "half-life" and can vary from billionths of a second to billions of years.
An important aspect of Quantum Mechanics is the predictions it makes about the radioactive decay of isotopes. This decay is random, and the randomness is inherently a quantum mechanical effect. As a result, the decay follows "1st-order kinetics" - typically resulting in an exponential decrease in the amount of isotope present as a function of time. The characteristic time required for 1/2 of the original amount of isotope to decay is known as the "half-life" and can vary from billionths of a second to billions of years.
==Mathematics==
The mathematics of Quantum mechanics is formulated using the language of infinite dimensional [[Hilbert Spaces]].
For an excellent discussion of quantum mechanics, see:
For an excellent discussion of quantum mechanics, see: