08/09/2017 BBC - GCSE Bitesize: Types of radiation

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Nuclearradiations

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Radioactivesubstancesgiveoutradiationallthetime.Therearethreetypes
ofnuclearradiationalpha,betaandgamma.Alphaistheleastpenetrating,
whilegammaisthemostpenetrating.
Radiationcanbeharmful,butitcanalsobeuseful.Theusesofradiation
includesmokedetectors,paperthicknessgauges,treatingcancerand
sterilisingmedicalequipment.

Typesofradiation
Nuclearradiationcomesfromthenucleusofanatom.Substancesthatgiveout
radiationaresaidtoberadioactive.Therearethreetypesofnuclearradiation:
alpha
beta
gamma.

Radiationcanbeabsorbedbysubstancesinitspath.Forexample,alpharadiation
travelsonlyafewcentimetresinair,betaradiationtravelstensofcentimetresinair,
whilegammaradiationtravelsmanymetres.Alltypesofradiationbecomeless
intensethefurtherthedistancefromtheradioactivematerial,astheparticlesor
raysbecomemorespreadout.
Thethickerthesubstance,themoretheradiationisabsorbed.Thethreetypesof
radiationpenetratematerialsindifferentways.
Alpharadiationcanbestoppedbyasheetofpaper.
Betaradiationcanpenetrateairandpaper,butisstoppedbyafew
millimetresofaluminium.
Gammaradiationcanonlybestoppedbyafewcentimetresoflead,ormany
metresofconcrete.

Penetrativepropertiesofdifferenttypesofradiation

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