Artificial or induced transmutation occurs when atoms of one element are struck with particles in a linear accelerator, cyclotron, or synchrotron.
This is done by "slamming" a particle into a nucleus, causing the nucleus to change and therefore the identity or the mass of the atom.
Nuclear decay (radioactive decay) is the spontaneous breakdown of an atomic nucleus resulting in the release of energy and matter from the nucleus.
Radioactive Decay is the process by which an atomic nucleus emits elementary particles or fragments. Transmutation on the other hand, refers to the change in nucleus, especially referring to the change in form from one to another.
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