Nuclear physics and radiation are all around us; in nature, medicine, industry and electricity generation. Understanding radiation, how to use it safely and its effects on us and the environment.
The nuclei of the atoms in some elements are unstable and emit radiation. The radiation can be of three types - alpha radiation, beta radiation and gamma radiation.
alphaA type of ionising radiation consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. (\(\alpha\)) particles are slow moving helium nuclei.
betaA type of ionising radiation consisting of a single electron. (\(\beta\)) particles are fast moving electrons.
gamma radiationA type of ionising radiation that is also part of the EM spectrum. It has no mass. (\(\gamma\)) rays are high-energy electromagnetic waves.
The three radiations transfer energy from the nucleus when they are emitted.
This video explains what ionising radiationEnergy carried by particles from a radioactive substance, or spreading out from a source. is and how a radioactive substance decays over time according to its half-life. You can read more about the process of radioactive decay later in this section.