Why is gamma radiation referred to gamma rays instead of gamma particles?

Answer 1

Gamma rays are really high frequency electromagnetic waves, while beta and alpha are particles with a non zero rest mass.

Generally, one tend to call "ray" any type of electromagnetic radiation and "particle" any massive sub atomic element.

However, it is a known fact that electromagnetic waves also behave as particles, especially at high frequencies, while massive particles, in some cases, behave as waves.

Therefore, the "ray" versus "particle" wording looks more a matter of convention than a correct description of a physical behaviour.

Answer 2

Radioactivity refers to the particles which are emitted from nuclei as a result of nuclear instability. Because the nucleus experiences the intense conflictbetween the two strongest forces in nature, it should not be surprising that there are many nuclearisotopes which are unstable and emit some kind of radiation. The most common types of radiation are called alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, but there are several other varieties of radioactive decay.

Answer 3

Gamma radiation is not particles, per se. They are photons, which are actually energy waves. Or they are particles. Well, it depends on how you choose to look at them.

The photon is an elementary particle, having no mass at rest state. It exhibits duality, meaning that it can be seen as a particle, or as a wave, and is best explained with quantum mechanics.

The final answer, so to speak, is that they are both waves and particles, just like light - they just happen to have a lot more energy than light.

Answer 4

Because when the radiation of radium was initially being studied a collimated beam of the radiation was split by a magnetic field into 3 types of radiation, which were arbitrarily named for the first 3 letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha, beta, gamma.

Answer 5

For a simple reason: that's exactly what they ARE. Both types of radiation exhibit many of the same features of other forms of EM radiation, including diffraction and photon energy.