Question

What are the three types of radiation?

Answer 1

There are three types of radiation:

Alpha radiation:

1. Alpha radiation is a heavy and very short-range particle.
2. It is actually an ejected helium nucleus.
3. Alpha radiation is another name for the alpha particles emitted in the type of radioactive decay called alpha decay.
4. Alpha particles are helium-4 $\left({}^4\mathrm{He}\right)$ nuclei.
   ${}_{\mathrm{A}}{}^{\mathrm{Z}}\mathrm{X}\to {}_{\mathrm{A}-2}{}^{\mathrm{Z}-4}\mathrm{Y}+{}_2{}^4\mathrm{He}$ Where Z is atomic number, A is mass number, X is Parent atom, Y is daughter atom

Beta radiation:

1. They are classified into two categories: Beta-minus $\left(\mathrm{\beta }-\right)$ and Beta-plus $\left(\mathrm{\beta }+\right)$.
2. The Beta-minus radiation consists of an energetic electron.
3. It is more penetrating than alpha radiation but less than gamma.
4. While, Beta-plus radiation is the emission of positrons, which are the antimatter form of electrons.
   ${}_{\mathrm{A}}{}^{\mathrm{Z}}\mathrm{X}\to {}_{\mathrm{A}+1}{}^{\mathrm{Z}}\mathrm{Y}+{}_{-1}{}^0\mathrm{e}$

Gamma radiation:

1. The Gamma rays or Gamma radiation consists of photons with a wavelength less than $3\times {10}^{-11}$meters.
2. The emission is a nuclear process that occurs to rid an unstable nucleus of excess energy after most nuclear reactions.