Ionising Radiation Flashcards
What are alpha particles made up from?
Two protons and two neutrons the same as a helium nucleus
What are the properties of alpha particles?
Relatively big, heavy and slow moving
What do these properties mean?
They don’t penetrate very far into materials and are stopped quickly even when traveling through air
Why are alpha particles ionising?
Because of their size they’re strongly ionising meaning they bash into a lot of atoms and knock electrons off them before they slow down which creates lots of ions
What is a beta particle?
A high speed electron with virtually no mass and a charge of -1
What are the properties of beta particles?
They’re move fast and are small
Are beta particles penetrating and ionising?
They penetrate moderately into materials before colliding
They have a long range in air
Moderately ionising
What are gamma rays?
Very short wavelength EM waves
Do gamma rays penetrate?
They penetrate far into materials without being stopped and pass straight through air
Are gamma rays ionising and why?
Weakly ionising because they tend to pass through rather than colliding with atoms
What is a gamma rays mass and charge?
No mass
No charge
What charge do alpha and beta particles have?
Alpha - positive
Beta - negative
What happens when traveling through a magnetic field?
Both alpha and beta particles will be deflected.
They will be deflected in opposite directions because of their opposite charges
Why are gamma rays not deflected by an magnetic field?
Gamma radiation is an EM wave and had no charge so isn’t reflected by electric or magnetic fields
Why are alpha particles deflected less than beta particles despite them having a larger charge and feeling a greater force?
They have a much greater mass
