Lifetime

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-006563",
  "term": "Lifetime",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The average duration that a molecule or an excited state exists before undergoing a transition or decay process. This value is the reciprocal of the sum of the rate constants for all deactivation pathways from a given state. For radioactive decay, it is the average time a nucleus exists before decaying.",
  "subject": "Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "half life",
    "quencher",
    "luminescence",
    "flash fluorimetry"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2007, 79, 293. 'Glossary of terms used in photochemistry, 3rd edition (IUPAC Recommendations 2006)' on page 363 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac200779030293)",
    "PAC, 1984, 56, 231. 'Nomenclature, symbols, units and their usage in spectrochemical analysis-Part VI: molecular luminescence spectroscopy' on page 242 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198456020231)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/lifetime/"
}