0
Want this question answered?
Be notified when an answer is posted
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How far does an alpha particle travel?
This depends on their energy. An alpha particle that comes from nuclear decay is usually only able to travel a short distance, a few centimeters, through air. Alpha particles as cosmic rays, however, are much more energetic, and can penetrate quite deeply, even through many meters of solid shielding. These can penetrate the atmosphere.
What is the ionizing power of alpha beta gamma?
Of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, gamma radiation has the greater ability to penetrate either shielding or living tissue. The penetration issue aside, a contact source that is an alpha emitter can do more tissue damage than beta or gamma radiation. Alpha and beta radiation are particulate radiation. They involve a particle. Gamma radiation is electromagnetic radiation of high energy. Use the links below to learn more about each type of radiation and get a handle on what's up.
What are the medical hazards of breathing alpha radiation?
Quite a few unfortunately. Being relatively heavy and positively charged, alpha particles in alpha radiation tend to have a very short mean free path, and quickly lose kinetic energy within a short distance of their source. This results in several MeV being deposited in a relatively small volume of material. This increases the chance of cellular damage in cases of internal contamination. In general, external alpha radiation is not harmful since alpha particles are effectively shielded by a few centimeters of air, a piece of paper, or the thin layer of dead skin cells. Even touching an alpha source is usually not harmful, though many alpha sources also are accompanied by beta-emitting radio daughters, and alpha emission is also accompanied by gamma photon emission. If substances emitting alpha particles are ingested, inhaled, injected or introduced through the skin, then it could result in a measurable dose. The Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) is a measure of the fact that alpha radiation is more effective at causing certain biological effects, notably either cancer or cell-death, compared to photon or beta radiation, for equivalent radiation exposure. This is generally attributable to the high Linear Energy Transfer (LET), which is about one ionization of a chemical bond for every Angstrom of travel by the alpha particle. The RBE has been set at the value of 20 for alpha radiation by various government regulations. The RBE is set at 10 for neutron irradiation, and at 1 for beta and ionizing photon radiation. However, another component of alpha radiation is the recoil of the parent nucleus, due to the conservation of momentum requiring the parent nucleus to recoil, much like the 'kick' of a rifle butt when a bullet goes in the opposite direction. This gives a significant amount of energy to the recoil nucleus, which also causes ionizaton damage. The total energy of the recoil nucleus is readily calculable, and is roughly the weight of the alpha (4 amu) divided by the weight of the parent (typically about 200 amu) times the total energy of the alpha. By some estimates, this might account for most of the internal radiation damage, as the recoil nuclei are typically heavy metals which preferentially collect on the chromosomes. In some studies, this has resulted in a RBE approaching 1,000 instead of the value used in governmental regulations.
What types of rays are there?
What Types of Radiation Are There?The radiation one typically encounters is one of four types: alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, and x radiation. Neutron radiation is also encountered in nuclear power plants and high-altitude flight and emitted from some industrial radioactive sources.Alpha RadiationAlpha radiation is a heavy, very short-range particle and is actually an ejected helium nucleus. Some characteristics of alpha radiation are:Most alpha radiation is not able to penetrate human skin.Alpha-emitting materials can be harmful to humans if the materials are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through open wounds.A variety of instruments has been designed to measure alpha radiation. Special training in the use of these instruments is essential for making accurate measurements.A thin-window Geiger-Mueller (GM) probe can detect the presence of alpha radiation.Instruments cannot detect alpha radiation through even a thin layer of water, dust, paper, or other material, because alpha radiation is not penetrating.Alpha radiation travels only a short distance (a few inches) in air, but is not an external hazard.Alpha radiation is not able to penetrate clothing.Examples of some alpha emitters: radium, radon, uranium, thorium.Beta RadiationBeta radiation is a light, short-range particle and is actually an ejected electron. Some characteristics of beta radiation are:Beta radiation may travel several feet in air and is moderately penetrating.Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the "germinal layer," where new skin cells are produced. If high levels of beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.Beta-emitting contaminants may be harmful if deposited internally.Most beta emitters can be detected with a survey instrument and a thin-window GM probe (e.g., "pancake" type). Some beta emitters, however, produce very low-energy, poorly penetrating radiation that may be difficult or impossible to detect. Examples of these difficult-to-detect beta emitters are hydrogen-3 (tritium), carbon-14, and sulfur-35.Clothing provides some protection against beta radiation.Examples of some pure beta emitters: strontium-90, carbon-14, tritium, and sulfur-35.Gamma and X RadiationGamma radiation and x rays are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation. Some characteristics of these radiations are:Gamma radiation or x rays are able to travel many feet in air and many inches in human tissue. They readily penetrate most materials and are sometimes called "penetrating" radiation.X rays are like gamma rays. X rays, too, are penetrating radiation. Sealed radioactive sources and machines that emit gamma radiation and x rays respectively constitute mainly an external hazard to humans.Gamma radiation and x rays are electromagnetic radiation like visible light, radiowaves, and ultraviolet light. These electromagnetic radiations differ only in the amount of energy they have. Gamma rays and x rays are the most energetic of these.Dense materials are needed for shielding from gamma radiation. Clothing provides little shielding from penetrating radiation, but will prevent contamination of the skin by gamma-emitting radioactive materials.Gamma radiation is easily detected by survey meters with a sodium iodide detector probe.Gamma radiation and/or characteristic x rays frequently accompany the emission of alpha and beta radiation during radioactive decay.
What type of wave is EM radiation?
EM radiation is short for electromagnetic radiation. It is a wave in the electric and magnetic fields.EM radiation is short for electromagnetic radiation. It is a wave in the electric and magnetic fields.EM radiation is short for electromagnetic radiation. It is a wave in the electric and magnetic fields.EM radiation is short for electromagnetic radiation. It is a wave in the electric and magnetic fields.
How far does an alpha particle travel?
This depends on their energy. An alpha particle that comes from nuclear decay is usually only able to travel a short distance, a few centimeters, through air. Alpha particles as cosmic rays, however, are much more energetic, and can penetrate quite deeply, even through many meters of solid shielding. These can penetrate the atmosphere.
What is a good stopper of ionizing radiation?
If by ionising radiation you mean alpha radiation (the most ionising out of alpha, beta and gamma radiation) then about a millimetre of paper would stop it. alpha radiation ionises the molecules of anything it reaches, but can pass through very few things due to its immense ionising power. This includes human tissue, but in all honesty, a large dose of alpha radiation wouldn't do human tissue alot of good. In short, almost any material can stop ionising radiation.
Does the alpha radiation souce need to have long or short half-line and why?
It depends entirely on what it is being used for.
What is the ionizing power of alpha beta gamma?
Of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, gamma radiation has the greater ability to penetrate either shielding or living tissue. The penetration issue aside, a contact source that is an alpha emitter can do more tissue damage than beta or gamma radiation. Alpha and beta radiation are particulate radiation. They involve a particle. Gamma radiation is electromagnetic radiation of high energy. Use the links below to learn more about each type of radiation and get a handle on what's up.
What types of radiations are there?
There are only two types of radiation. 1. Electromagnetic Under this we have gamma radiation, X radiation, light and heat 2. Particle radiation Under this we have alpha and beta.
Which is used for short distance travel over land and water?
Hovercraft
What is the Distance of 22 short?
Are you asking about the maximum effective range or the maximum range that a 22 short projectile can travel?
What radioactive emission is not a particle?
Gamma rays are not particles, but highly-ionizing electromagnetic radiation of a very short wavelength.The other major atomic "radiation" is in the form of alpha particles (He nuclei) or beta particles (electrons, or positrons).
What are the medical hazards of breathing alpha radiation?
Quite a few unfortunately. Being relatively heavy and positively charged, alpha particles in alpha radiation tend to have a very short mean free path, and quickly lose kinetic energy within a short distance of their source. This results in several MeV being deposited in a relatively small volume of material. This increases the chance of cellular damage in cases of internal contamination. In general, external alpha radiation is not harmful since alpha particles are effectively shielded by a few centimeters of air, a piece of paper, or the thin layer of dead skin cells. Even touching an alpha source is usually not harmful, though many alpha sources also are accompanied by beta-emitting radio daughters, and alpha emission is also accompanied by gamma photon emission. If substances emitting alpha particles are ingested, inhaled, injected or introduced through the skin, then it could result in a measurable dose. The Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) is a measure of the fact that alpha radiation is more effective at causing certain biological effects, notably either cancer or cell-death, compared to photon or beta radiation, for equivalent radiation exposure. This is generally attributable to the high Linear Energy Transfer (LET), which is about one ionization of a chemical bond for every Angstrom of travel by the alpha particle. The RBE has been set at the value of 20 for alpha radiation by various government regulations. The RBE is set at 10 for neutron irradiation, and at 1 for beta and ionizing photon radiation. However, another component of alpha radiation is the recoil of the parent nucleus, due to the conservation of momentum requiring the parent nucleus to recoil, much like the 'kick' of a rifle butt when a bullet goes in the opposite direction. This gives a significant amount of energy to the recoil nucleus, which also causes ionizaton damage. The total energy of the recoil nucleus is readily calculable, and is roughly the weight of the alpha (4 amu) divided by the weight of the parent (typically about 200 amu) times the total energy of the alpha. By some estimates, this might account for most of the internal radiation damage, as the recoil nuclei are typically heavy metals which preferentially collect on the chromosomes. In some studies, this has resulted in a RBE approaching 1,000 instead of the value used in governmental regulations.
What types of rays are there?
What Types of Radiation Are There?The radiation one typically encounters is one of four types: alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, and x radiation. Neutron radiation is also encountered in nuclear power plants and high-altitude flight and emitted from some industrial radioactive sources.Alpha RadiationAlpha radiation is a heavy, very short-range particle and is actually an ejected helium nucleus. Some characteristics of alpha radiation are:Most alpha radiation is not able to penetrate human skin.Alpha-emitting materials can be harmful to humans if the materials are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through open wounds.A variety of instruments has been designed to measure alpha radiation. Special training in the use of these instruments is essential for making accurate measurements.A thin-window Geiger-Mueller (GM) probe can detect the presence of alpha radiation.Instruments cannot detect alpha radiation through even a thin layer of water, dust, paper, or other material, because alpha radiation is not penetrating.Alpha radiation travels only a short distance (a few inches) in air, but is not an external hazard.Alpha radiation is not able to penetrate clothing.Examples of some alpha emitters: radium, radon, uranium, thorium.Beta RadiationBeta radiation is a light, short-range particle and is actually an ejected electron. Some characteristics of beta radiation are:Beta radiation may travel several feet in air and is moderately penetrating.Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the "germinal layer," where new skin cells are produced. If high levels of beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.Beta-emitting contaminants may be harmful if deposited internally.Most beta emitters can be detected with a survey instrument and a thin-window GM probe (e.g., "pancake" type). Some beta emitters, however, produce very low-energy, poorly penetrating radiation that may be difficult or impossible to detect. Examples of these difficult-to-detect beta emitters are hydrogen-3 (tritium), carbon-14, and sulfur-35.Clothing provides some protection against beta radiation.Examples of some pure beta emitters: strontium-90, carbon-14, tritium, and sulfur-35.Gamma and X RadiationGamma radiation and x rays are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation. Some characteristics of these radiations are:Gamma radiation or x rays are able to travel many feet in air and many inches in human tissue. They readily penetrate most materials and are sometimes called "penetrating" radiation.X rays are like gamma rays. X rays, too, are penetrating radiation. Sealed radioactive sources and machines that emit gamma radiation and x rays respectively constitute mainly an external hazard to humans.Gamma radiation and x rays are electromagnetic radiation like visible light, radiowaves, and ultraviolet light. These electromagnetic radiations differ only in the amount of energy they have. Gamma rays and x rays are the most energetic of these.Dense materials are needed for shielding from gamma radiation. Clothing provides little shielding from penetrating radiation, but will prevent contamination of the skin by gamma-emitting radioactive materials.Gamma radiation is easily detected by survey meters with a sodium iodide detector probe.Gamma radiation and/or characteristic x rays frequently accompany the emission of alpha and beta radiation during radioactive decay.
What materials can alpha radiation go through?
Alpha particles have very little kinetic energy, and are fairly safely stopped by a few centimeters of air or something as thin as a sheet of paper. Of course, they can travel unimpeded through a vacuum.
What changes take place in the nucleus when an alpha particle is emitted?
In short, alpha radiation occurs when an unstable nucleus emits 2 protons and 2 neutrons from it's nucleus. This means that the atomic number decreases by 2 and the nucleon number decreases by 4.
