Knowing more about Types of Radiation and Radioactivity

The natural process by which some atoms spontaneously disintegrate, generating both particles and energy as they convert into new, more stable atoms, is referred to as radioactivity. Because unstable isotopes prefer to transition into a more stable state, this process, also known as radioactive decay, happens. Disintegrations, or decays, per unit time, are used to quantify radioactivity. The four types of radiation are alpha, beta, gamma, and emission of neutrons. The distance till which the three radiations can travel is different. The energy with which the radiation particles are discharged from the atom is referred to as penetrating power. The higher the energy, the more radioactive decay particles of light will permeate a material.

Isotopes:

A family is made up of people who are related but not identical. Isotopes are a kind of group of elements. The elements that have equal protons but the different numbers of neutrons are said to be isotopes. The atomic number of an element is a representation of the number of protons it has in its nucleus.

Stable and Unstable Isotopes:

Only a few of these isotopes of any element are stable, while the rest of them are unstable and can undergo radioactive decay where they emit something to become more stable. So a radioactive material is a substance that contains unstable isotopes which can release radiation. The thing that they emit is known as radiation. Primarily these radiations are of four types:

• Alpha particles

• Beta particles

• Gamma rays

• Neutrons

Alpha Particles:

Alpha particles consist of two protons and two which are tightly packed. During the decay of alpha, these particles come out from the nuclei of various radionuclides. An alpha particle is similar to the nucleus of a Helium atom, so it is usually represented as the symbol of the nucleus of a Helium atom. Because alpha particles lack electrons, they have a charge of two-plus from the two positive protons. Because alpha particles are very big, they are quickly halted by collisions with other molecules, limiting their ability to penetrate deep into other materials. They can barely travel a few centimetres here before being absorbed by a single sheet of paper. They are, however, very ionising due to their large size and high charge. This simply means that they can easily knock electrons off any atom they come in contact with.

Beta Particles:

Because beta particles are made up entirely of electrons, they have a charge of negative ones and have almost no mass. One of the atom’s shells does not emit electrons. Neutrons decay into a proton and an electron instead of one of the atoms. Beta particles are mildly ionising and penetrate fairly deep into materials due to their small size. In order to stop them, for instance, it would need metres of air or nearly five millimetres of aluminium.

Gamma Rays:

Gamma rays aren’t particles in the traditional sense. They’re essentially electromagnetic radiation waves. After alpha or beta radiation, they are frequently irradiated. They don’t have any mass or charge and are aware of the nucleus releasing some extra energy. They are only weakly ionising since they tend to pass it right through materials rather than hitting any of the atoms. This means they might run through a lot of materials before coming to a halt. Large sheets of lead or several metres of concrete are the only things that can stop them from flying over great distances.

Neutrons:

A free neutron is released as a result of spontaneous or induced nuclear fission to produce neutron radiation. They can freely float for several metres in the air, although they can be significantly stopped if they come near a substance that is rich in hydrogen, for instance, water. This is because neutrons do not have the power to ionise an atom as they do not have any charge like electrons or protons. This, in turn, makes it even more unstable, which leads to the release of more radiation. A surprising fact about neutrons is that they can transform non-radioactive materials into radioactive ones.

Conclusion :

In conclusion, Isotopes are the group of elements with the same number of protons (positively charged particles) and neutrons (neutrally charged particles). Among these isotopes, the one that is stable is called the stable isotope, whereas the others are called unstable isotopes. Now, these unstable isotopes release some energy in the form of radiation to become stable. This release of radiation is known as radioactive decay, and the major forms of radiation are:

• Alpha radiation
• Beta radiation
• Gamma rays
• Release of neutrons

Alpha particles have two protons and so carry a two-plus charge. Being big in size, it is very easy to stop them. On the other hand, beta particles are made up of electrons, so they are tiny and carry a negative charge. They can travel longer distances than alpha particles due to their small size and less hindrance in movement. Because gamma rays are electromagnetic waves, they encounter little resistance and may travel larger distances than beta particles. Radiation can also be released when a neutron is ejected out of the nucleus of an atom due to excess numbers.