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What is the difference between waves used in microwave ovens and nuclear radiation?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Both microwave radiation and nuclear electromagnetic radiation are members of the same species, but they're as different as babies are from elephants, to wit, microwaves are much, much less powerful than nuclear electromagnetic radiation. Microwave radiation, for instance, makes atoms shift their position (and magnetic fields) very, very quickly. Now the definition of heat is "movement," so the faster anything moves, the "hotter" we say it is. Ergo, something placed in a microwave-radiation-field becomes noticeably "hotter." But comparing microwave and nuclear electromagnetic radiation is like comparing a face-slap to a 20-ton BOMB. Nuclear radiation comes from atomic nuclei, so "nuclear radiation" can strike, penetrate, damage, and even destroy atoms in their path. Big difference, capiche? Huge.
We left out the part about nuclear particulate radiation. There is no comparison there. Additionally, nuclear electromagnetic radiation is ionizing radiation while microwave radiation is not.
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
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Is there a difference between radiation and nuclear radiation?
Radiation generally describes non harmful waves such as radio waves and light wave while nuclear radiation usually describes emission of harmful gamma rays.
What is the difference between nuclear radiation and heat radiation?
Heat radiation is infrared radiation, which is a relatively low frequency radiation, slightly lower than that of visible light. Nuclear radiation includes a variety of types, including X rays and gamma rays, which are very high frequency radiation, and which are consequently much more dangerous, and can cause radiation sickness. There are also other types of nuclear radiation such as alpha rays, beta rays, and neutrons, all of which are in the form of subatomic particles rather than electromagnetic radiation.
How big is a nuclear bomb?
Nuclear weapons currently produced are between the sizes of a microwave oven and a pickup truck. The smallest have an explosive yield in the sub-kiloton range, and the largest are equal to between 5 and 20 megatons of TNT. For a nuclear bomb, most of the size and weight is shielding, to protect the handlers from the radiation from the bomb core.
What type of radiation do nuclear weapons emit?
Nuclear weapons emit nuclear radiation, with gamma radiation being the most common and dangerous.
Is radiation good for nuclear energy?
Radiation is a consequence of nuclear energy. In fact, without the radiation of a large neutron flux, nuclear energy would not exist.
Is there a difference between radiation and nuclear radiation?
Radiation generally describes non harmful waves such as radio waves and light wave while nuclear radiation usually describes emission of harmful gamma rays.
Is a microwave an example of nuclear energy?
The energy from a microwave oven is taken from an electric outlet. The electricity that reaches your home may come from different sources, including nuclear power plants but also other types of power plants; the microwave oven won't notice the difference.
What is the relationship between nuclear radiation and nuclear fallout?
fallout emits nuclear radiation, but lots of other things do too.fallout is particulates from dust size to baseball size, nuclear radiation is a mix of electromagnetic radiation and high speed subatomic particles.
What is the difference between nuclear radiation and heat radiation?
Heat radiation is infrared radiation, which is a relatively low frequency radiation, slightly lower than that of visible light. Nuclear radiation includes a variety of types, including X rays and gamma rays, which are very high frequency radiation, and which are consequently much more dangerous, and can cause radiation sickness. There are also other types of nuclear radiation such as alpha rays, beta rays, and neutrons, all of which are in the form of subatomic particles rather than electromagnetic radiation.
How big is a nuclear bomb?
Nuclear weapons currently produced are between the sizes of a microwave oven and a pickup truck. The smallest have an explosive yield in the sub-kiloton range, and the largest are equal to between 5 and 20 megatons of TNT. For a nuclear bomb, most of the size and weight is shielding, to protect the handlers from the radiation from the bomb core.
What are the signs of nuclear radiation?
There are no immediate signed of nuclear radiation.
How much danger does the US face with Japan's nuclear plant radiation fallout?
The U.S does not face much of a threat from the radiation in Japan but it may quite be possible for the minimal amounts of radiation to get here, possibly the amount a microwave emits when activated.
What can one do to protect oneself from background radiation?
Background radiation come from black body radiation which is mostly infrared and microwave. Background radiation is not harmful at all. Fear from background radiation come from confusion of the word radiation where we mostly concern nuclear radiation, but light is also a form of radiation and we live within the bright day light on a normal basis.
Does nuclear affect any living thing?
nuclear what? nuclear radiation affects virtually all living things. it is poisonous to virtually everything as it kills living cells and just like in a microwave oven which uses the same technology it will cook you from the inside out.
What type of radiation do nuclear weapons emit?
Nuclear weapons emit nuclear radiation, with gamma radiation being the most common and dangerous.
What does Yucca Mountain have to do with nuclear radiation?
people are planning to store nuclear radiation there.
How radiation affected by surface temperature?
Nuclear radiation is not affected at all, but radiation by Electromagnetic Radiation is. This is a straight Physics topic, not Nuclear Energy.
