en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_uniform_distribution
1 correction found
experiments of physical origin follow a uniform distribution (e.g. emission of radioactive particles).
Radioactive-particle emission is not a standard example of a uniform distribution. Radioactive decay is modeled as a statistical exponential process, and counts of decays over fixed time intervals are described by a Poisson distribution.
Full reasoning
The example given here is incorrect. Radioactive emission does not generally follow a continuous uniform distribution.
Authoritative references describe radioactive decay as a statistical exponential process: the probability an atom decays over time is governed by the exponential decay law. And when you count decay events over a fixed time interval, the observed number of decays is described by a Poisson distribution, not a uniform one.
So citing “emission of radioactive particles” as an example of a uniform distribution is misleading. A reader would come away with the wrong distributional model for radioactive decay.
In short:
- Decay times / survival over time: exponential law.
- Number of decays in a fixed interval: Poisson distribution.
- Not: continuous uniform distribution.
2 sources
- Read "Radiation Source Use and Replacement: Abbreviated Version" at NAP.edu
The National Academies text states: “Nuclear decay ... is a statistical phenomenon” and “The exponential laws that govern nuclear decay and growth of radioactive substances were first formulated by Ernest Rutherford and Frederick Soddy in 1902.”
- Poisson Distribution and Radiological Measurement｜Hong Kong Observatory(HKO)｜Educational Resources
“Radioactive decay is a random process... The actual number of decays over a period of time is generally described by the Poisson distribution.”