– Why are alpha- and beta radiation referred as particles, whilst gamma radiation as rays?

Question

– Why are alpha- and beta radiation referred as particles, whilst gamma radiation as rays?

In: Physics

Answer 1

What we colloquially refer to as just “radiation” is actually two physically different things: *electromagnetic* radiation and *nuclear* radiation.

Electromagnetic radiation is just light. Phone screens, lightbulbs, microwaves, Wifi, etc. all emit electromagnetic radiation. The stronger stuff, like UV or **gamma** rays, can be harmful to us. So they colloquially get referred to as “radiation” where Wifi is just “radio waves”.

Nuclear radiation happens when the nucleus of an atom decays into a different element, kicking out a particle in the process. An **alpha** particle is 2 protons and 2 neutrons (aka a helium atom). A **beta** particle is either an electron (when a neutron turns into a proton) or a positron (when a proton turns into a neutron).