It is like light? Or heat or gas? Or small particles like dust? How does it harm us?
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Radioactive is a term that describes a substance that emits radiation. This can be anything from yellow cake uranium to the potassium 40 in your banana, to the dust made in nuclear fallout.
The next question then is “what is radiation”, which is actually 3 different things.
1. High energy photons, in the form of x rays and gamma rays. They are very dangerous in all circumstances, but not the most common.
2. High speed helium, called alpha particles. They are dangerous if eaten or breathed in large numbers.
3. High speed electrons, called beta particles. These are also dangerous if eaten or breathed.
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