Radioisotopes, also called radionuclides, are atoms that are not stable and decay spontaneously to more stable elements or other atoms by emission of matter or energy. Studies of radioisotopes have led to increased understanding of the forces of Nature, especially the forces vital to nuclear binding and exhibited solely in the microscopic world. Radioisotopes can be used to determine the ages of materials, as radiopharmaceuticals or radiation sources or tracers in medicine, for nondestructive evaluation of materials, for the tracking of groundwater or air flow, for food sterilization, and for scientific analysis. The nuclear physics properties of radioisotopes and the various radiation particles are summarized, including the concepts of half‐life, decay constant, angular momentum, and parity. The modes of nuclear decay and the accompanying radiation are described, as are combined nuclear and atomic processes, and atomic decays and corresponding radiations. Decay data for several useful radioisotopes are given.