Gamma Rays are Very a Short Wavelength EM Waves Flashcards
1
Q
What are gamma rays technically the opposite of?
A
Alpha particles
2
Q
What do gamma rays not have and what are they instead?
A
They have no mass - they’re just energy
3
Q
How far can they penetrate before being stopped?
A
A long way
4
Q
They tend to pass through rather than collide with atoms because they are?
A
Weakly ionising
5
Q
What doesn’t happen because gamma rays have no mass?
A
They’re not deflected by electric or magnetic fields
6
Q
When does gamma emission always happen?
A
After beta or alpha decay - you never get just gamma rays emitted
7
Q
What effect does gamma ray emission have on atomic or mass numbers of the isotope?
A
None
8
Q
How does a nucleus lose excess energy?
A
By emitting a gamma ray
9
Q
What are they absorbed by?
A
Thick sheets of lead or a few metres of concrete
