What happens when an atom releases radio activity?

Question

thankyou very much

Answer 1

That's generally known as a f**t and it usually smells and offends those around the source of the release.

Answer 2

The above answer was funny but of no use.  

Here is a better explanation  Everything naturally wants to be in a state of lowest energy.  When an atom releases radiation it goes from a state of higher energy to lower.  Sometimes the energy released is in the form of electromagnet radiation (light), other times it is in particles, or sometimes both.  The atom that release the radiation then decays into another element or into the same element but a non radioactive isotope.