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Beta particles (electrons) are less massive than alpha particles (Helium-4 nuclei), by a factor of approximately 8000.

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Definition for Radioactive decay?

Radioactive decay is the characteristics of radioactive substances that all radioactive atoms do not disintegrate at once but do so gradually .It is spontaneous and it is not influenced by external conditions such as temperature, pressure , etc.. In any radioactive decay , either an alpha particle or beta particle is emitted by atom .Both the particles are not emitted simultaneously .Moreover , the atom does not emit more than one alpha particle or more than one beta particle at a time


What particles come out of radioactive decay?

The primary particles emitted from radioactive decay are alpha particles and beta particles.Alpha particles are helium nuclei, two protons and two neutrons.Beta particles comes in two flavors. In Beta- decay a neutron is converted into a proton, resulting in a W- boson, which then nearly immediately decays into an electron and an electron antineutrino. In Beta+ decay, a proton is converted into a neutron, with the emission of a positron, and an electron neutrino.Sometimes, more than just alpha particles are emitted, in a process called cluster decay, of which alpha decay is simply a subset. You can have multiple alpha particle emission, or you can have substantially larger particles emitted, such as the nuclei of Cesium-137, as a result of fission. While fission is normally an induced process, in nuclear reactors and bombs, it can also spontaneously occur, so it can also be called a decay process.Another particle that can be emitted during fission, spontaneous or induced, is the neutron. Under the right conditions, these neutrons can go on to induce further fission, in a process we call a chain reaction. Controlled, we call that a nuclear power plant; uncontrolled, we call that a bomb.Last, there is gamma radiation or x-rays. Most decay processes leave the nucleus or electron cloud in an excited state, and it "wants" to lose its excess energy and return to normal state. When this happens, a photon is emitted, resulting in gamma radiation (nucleus) or x-rays (electron cloud) of various energies. Most of the time, this photon emission occurs very quickly, on the order of 1 x 10-12 seconds after excitation, but some nuclei, such as Technetium-99m, have a meta-stable state that allows them to stay excited for a long time, usually minutes or hours.


Nuclear decay is the change of an atom of...?

... an unstable isotope to a more stable isotope by emission of some type of radiation (alpha, beta, or gamma).


What are the three main types of radioactive decay?

AlphaBetaGamma!


How does radioactive decay produce new elements?

In alpha decay, the nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons. The resulting element will therefore have an element number that is two less.In beta minus decay, a neutron gets converted to a proton. The resulting element will have one more proton - the element number will be one more. In beta plus decay, a proton gets converted to a neutron. The resulting element will have one less proton - the element number will be one less.

Related Questions

If the mixture of electrically neutral how many more beta particles than alpha particles are in the balloon?

If a mixture is electrically neutral, for every alpha particle (which has a charge of +2), there must be two beta particles (each with a charge of -1) to balance the charges. So there are two more beta particles than alpha particles in the balloon.


How does the penetrating ability of gamma rays compare with that of alpha particles and beta particles?

Gamma rays have higher penetrating ability compared to alpha and beta particles. Gamma rays can penetrate through most materials, while alpha particles can be stopped by a sheet of paper and beta particles by a few millimeters of aluminum.


Do beta particles travel further than alpha particles?

Yes, beta particles typically travel further than alpha particles because they have a higher energy level. Alpha particles are heavier and more charged, so they interact with matter more readily and have a shorter range. Beta particles have less mass and charge, allowing them to penetrate further.


What is the range of beta particles in air as compare to alpha particles?

What is the range of beta particles in air as compare to alpha particles?Read more: What_is_the_range_of_beta_particles_in_air_as_compare_to_alpha_particles


Why were a few alpha particles reflected at large angles?

yes it is


Why should it take significantly more energy to move a beam of alpha particles than a beam of beta minus?

Alpha particles have a higher mass and charge compared to beta minus particles, leading to stronger electromagnetic interactions with surrounding particles. As a result, the alpha particles experience more resistance and require more energy to be moved through a medium compared to beta minus particles.


What are 3 kinds of radiation given off by radioactive substances?

The three types of radiation given off by radioactive substances are alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. Alpha particles are the least penetrating, beta particles are more penetrating than alpha particles, and gamma rays are the most penetrating and dangerous type of radiation.


Is it true or false beta particle will penetrate deeper into materials than an alpha particle?

False. Alpha particles have a larger mass and charge compared to beta particles, which causes them to interact more strongly with materials. As a result, alpha particles penetrate less deeply into materials compared to beta particles.


Why do alpha particles travel shorter distance in air than beta particles?

Alpha particles are larger and heavier than beta particles, so they interact more readily with air molecules through collisions. This causes alpha particles to lose their energy more quickly and travel shorter distances in air compared to beta particles, which are smaller and lighter. Additionally, alpha particles have a higher ionization potential, leading to more interactions with air molecules and a shorter range in air.


Why are beta particles able to penetrate objects better than alpha particles are?

Beta particles are smaller and have less mass than alpha particles, which allows them to move faster and penetrate materials more easily. Additionally, beta particles have a lower ionization potential compared to alpha particles, allowing them to interact with materials in a way that allows them to penetrate further.


Why are reactions that emit alpha particles generally considered more safe than those that emit beta particles?

Alpha particles are actually electron-less helium nuclei versus beta particles which are actually electrons, which are much smaller than alpha particles. Therefore, alpha particles' penetrating strength is much smaller than beta particles (a sheet of paper versus a wooden board). Therefore, beta particles will penetrate more into a human body and will do more damage than alpha particles which are usually stopped at the skin.


Does alpha particles have less mass the beta particles?

An alpha particle is two protons and two neutrons (same as a Helium nucleus) so when a nucleus ejects an alpha it will defintely have less mass. Also it will be a new element because it has two less protons.