Nuclear radiation

• Some nuclei are unstable, this means they give out nuclear radiation as they change to become more stable
• A unstable nuclei giving of nuclear particles is called radioactive decay which is a Radom process
• Unstable nuclei may emit an alpha particle, a beta particle, a gamma ray, or a neutron.
• Alpha particles have 2 protons and 2 neutrons ( +2 ). It have the same nucleus’s as helium
• Alpha particles are the least penetration going as it absorbed by a thin paper with a few millimetres of movement in the air. It is the most ionising
• Beta Is a electron ( -1)
• Gamma is a high frequency electromagnetic wave with no charge
• Beta is medium penetration power which can be absorbed by a few millimetres of aluminium and a range of about 10 of cm of air movement. It is medium ionisation power
• gamma is the most penetration with several cm of lead to absorbs most of the waves. Has a range of many metres in the air but is the least ionising
• Nuclear radiation will ionise atoms by knocking electrons off them. When living cells are ionised it can cause health problems including cancer