What type of radioactive emission is the heaviest

They are considered to have the least ionizing power and the greatest penetration power. The safest amount of radiation to the human body is zero. It is impossible to completely avoid ionizing radiation, so the next best goal is to be exposed to as little as possible. The two best ways to minimize exposure are to limit time of exposure, and to increase distance from the source. The nuclear disintegration process that emits alpha particles is called alpha decay. An example of a nucleus that undergoes alpha decay is uranium Where does an alpha particle get this symbol?

The bottom number in a nuclear symbol is the number of protons. That means that the alpha particle has two protons in it that were lost by the uranium atom. The top number, 4, is the mass number or the total of the protons and neutrons in the particle.

Because it has two protons, and a total of four protons and neutrons, alpha particles must also have two neutrons. Alpha particles always have this same composition: two protons and two neutrons. These types of equations are called nuclear equations and are similar to the chemical equivalent discussed through the previous chapters. Another common decay process is beta particle emission, or beta decay. A beta particle is simply a high energy electron that is emitted from the nucleus.

It may occur to you that we have a logically difficult situation here. Nuclei do not contain electrons and yet during beta decay, an electron is emitted from a nucleus. At the same time that the electron is being ejected from the nucleus, a neutron is becoming a proton. It is tempting to picture this as a neutron breaking into two pieces with the pieces being a proton and an electron.

That would be convenient for simplicity, but unfortunately that is not what happens more on this subject will be explained at the end of this section. For convenience, we will treat beta decay as a neutron splitting into a proton and an electron. The proton stays in the nucleus, increasing the atomic number of the atom by one. The electron is ejected from the nucleus and is the particle of radiation called beta. To insert an electron into a nuclear equation and have the numbers add up properly, an atomic number and a mass number had to be assigned to an electron.

The mass number assigned to an electron is zero 0 , which is reasonable since the mass number is the number of protons plus neutrons, and an electron contains no protons and no neutrons.

The atomic number assigned to an electron is negative one -1 , because that allows a nuclear equation containing an electron to balance atomic numbers. Therefore, the nuclear symbol representing an electron beta particle is. Thorium is a nucleus that undergoes beta decay. Here is the nuclear equation for this beta decay:.

Frequently, gamma ray production accompanies nuclear reactions of all types. What scientific concept do you need to know in order to solve this problem? Our tutors have indicated that to solve this problem you will need to apply the Radioactive Decay concept. You can view video lessons to learn Radioactive Decay.

Or if you need more Radioactive Decay practice, you can also practice Radioactive Decay practice problems. Our tutors rated the difficulty of Which is the heaviest of the common radioactive particles? Our expert Chemistry tutor, Sabrina took 1 minute and 25 seconds to solve this problem.

You can follow their steps in the video explanation above. If you forgot your password, you can reset it. Join thousands of students and gain free access to 46 hours of Chemistry videos that follow the topics your textbook covers. About this free course 12 hours study. Level 1: Introductory. Course rewards. Free statement of participation on completion of these courses. Create your free OpenLearn profile. Course content Course content. The science of nuclear energy Start this free course now.

Free course The science of nuclear energy. Alpha particles Alpha particles are the largest of the emitted particles and are positively charged.

The nucleus therefore loses two protons and becomes a different element! Beta particles Beta particles are negatively charged and turned out to be an electron ejected from a nucleus. Gamma particles Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by radioactive elements. Figure 5 The electromagnetic spectrum the energy scale is given in two units; both the electronvolt eV and the joule J are explained later.

Long description. Previous 1. Next 1. Alpha particles lack the energy to penetrate even the outer layer of skin, so exposure to the outside of the body is not a major concern. Inside the body, however, they can be very harmful. If alpha-emitters are inhaled, swallowed, or get into the body through a cut, the alpha particles can damage sensitive living tissue.

The way these large, heavy particles cause damage makes them more dangerous than other types of radiation. The ionizations they cause are very close together - they can release all their energy in a few cells. This results in more severe damage to cells and DNA. These particles are emitted by certain unstable atoms such as hydrogen-3 tritium , carbon and strontium Beta particles are more penetrating than alpha particles, but are less damaging to living tissue and DNA because the ionizations they produce are more widely spaced.

They travel farther in air than alpha particles, but can be stopped by a layer of clothing or by a thin layer of a substance such as aluminum. However, as with alpha-emitters, beta-emitters are most hazardous when they are inhaled or swallowed. Unlike alpha and beta particles, which have both energy and mass, gamma rays are pure energy. Gamma rays are similar to visible light, but have much higher energy. Gamma rays are often emitted along with alpha or beta particles during radioactive decay.

Gamma rays are a radiation hazard for the entire body. They can easily penetrate barriers that can stop alpha and beta particles, such as skin and clothing. Gamma rays have so much penetrating power that several inches of a dense material like lead, or even a few feet of concrete may be required to stop them. Gamma rays can pass completely through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause ionizations that damage tissue and DNA.