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decay constant

noun

: the constant ratio of the number of radioactive atoms disintegrating in any specified short unit interval of time to the total number of atoms of the same kind still intact at the beginning of that interval

called also disintegration constant

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Cite this Entry

“Decay constant.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/decay%20constant. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.

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