1.      Gamma, γ-rays are not deflected by electric and magnetic fields. It shows that they do not have any charge.

2.      Gamma, γ-rays are electromagnetic waves like X-rays. The wavelength of γ-ray photon is smaller than that of X-rays.

3.      The rest mass of a Gamma, γ-ray photon is zero. (Photon has mass zero but it has momentum, why?)

4.      Gamma, γ-rays travel with the speed of light.

5.      Gamma, γ-rays have very large penetrating power. They can pass through several centimeter of iron and lead.

6.      Gamma, γ-rays can produce fluorescene in a substance like willimite.

7.      Gamma, γ-rays affect a photographic plate more than β-particles.

8.      Gamma, γ-rays can knock out electrons from the surface of a metal, on which they may fall.

9.      Gamma, γ-rays can produce nuclear reactions.

10.  Gamma, γ-rays have got small ionizing power.

These are the 10 main properties of gamma rays, if you know more please share with us.

Also Read: 1. Properties of alpha particles

                2. Properties of beta particles

The post 10 Properties of gamma rays first appeared on Winner Science.

1. A beta (β)- particle carries 1.6 x 10^-19 C of negative charge, which is the charge on an electron.
2. The mass of β-particle is 9.1 x 10^-31 kg, which is the same as that of electron.
3. The velocity of β-particles ranges from 33% to 99% of the velocity of light.
4. The β-particles ionize the gas through which they pass, but their ionizing power is only 1/100^th that of α-particles.
5. Because of small mass, the penetrating power of β-particles is very large.
6. The β-particles can also produce fluorescence in certain substance like barium-plantinocyanide and zinc sulphide.
7. They affect a photographic plate.
8. They are deflected by electric and magnetic fields, showing that they carry negative charge.

These are the important properties or characteristics of beta particles. If you know more please share with us.

Also read: 10 properties of alpha particles.

The post Properties of beta particles first appeared on Winner Science.

1.     Alpha, α – particle carries double the positive charge of proton, which is equal to the charge on the helium nucleus.

2.      Mass of an alpha, α – particle is roughly four times that of hydrogen atom i.e. it is equal to the mass of the helium nucleus.

The above two properties establish that an alpha, α – particle is equivalent to helium nucleus (or a helium atom which has lost its two orbital electrons i.e. a doubly ionized helium atom).

3.      Alpha, α – particles are deflected by electric and magnetic fields.

4.       The velocity of alpha, α – particle ranges between 1.4 x 10⁷ ms^-1 to 2.1 x 10⁷ ms^-1 , depending upon the source emitting it.

5.      Because of large mass, the penetrating power of  α – particle is very small, it being 1/100 times that due to beta, β – rays and 1/10,000 times that due to γ – rays . α – particle can be easily stopped by an aluminium sheet, only 0.02 mm thick.

6.      Because of large mass and large velocity, α – particle have large ionizing power. Each α – particle produces thousands of ions before being absorbed.

7.      The range of alpha, α – particles in air (distance through which they can travel in air) depends upon the radioactive source producing it. At normal pressure in air, the range of α – particle varies from 3 to 8 cm.

8.      Alpha, α – particles produces fluorescence in certain substances, like barium – plantinocyanide and zinc-sulphide.

9.      Alpha, α – particles affected photographic plate slightly.

10.  Alpha, α – particles are scattered while passing through thin metal foils. Most of the α – particles are scattered at small angles, but a few of them are scattered at an angle more than 90⁰ also.

These are the 10 properties of  α – particles, if you know more, please discuss.

Brain Teaser:

Please answer the following question:

The penetrating power of  α – particles is:

1. less than beta particles

2, less than gamma particles

3. both a) and b)

4. none of the above,

Please submit your answer in comment section.

The post 10 properties of alpha particles first appeared on Winner Science.

The phenomenon of emission of active radiations by an element was termed radioactivity. The element exhibiting this property was called radioactivity element.

Natural radioactivity is a spontaneous and self disruptive activity exhibited by a number of heavy elements occurring in nature. The word spontaneous means by its own or by shear out of nature of the element and self disruptive means that the element disintegrates itself i.e. no external provocation influences the emission. Radioactivity is, therefore, the property by virtue of which a heavy element disintegrates itself without being forced by any external agent to do so.

The phenomenon was discovered by a French Physicist, Henry Becquerel in 1896. He observed that uranium salts possessed a peculiar property of affecting a photographic plate even when the plate was in a light proof package. This he thought, must be due to certain active radiations emitted by uranium salts. These radiations were called Becquerel rays. The total number of radioactivity elements known at present is about 40. For instance, natural elements with atomic number greater than 82 are all radioactive. Their nuclei are thus unstable nuclei. Some examples are Radium, Thorium, Actinium, Polonium etc.

Effect of external conditions on radioactivity:

The experiments show that the phenomenon of radioactivity is not at all affected by the imposed conditions of temperature, pressure, chemical combination etc. Therefore, electrons orbiting the nucleus were not responsible for radioactivity. Hence, the radioactivity must be property of heavy nuclei only.

This is the introduction of radioactivity.

Brain Teaser: 

1. In radiactivity, what happens:

a) lighter atoms joins

b) heavy element disintegrates into lighter atoms with the help of external force

c) heavy element disintegrates into lighter atoms without the help of external force

d) both b) and c)

Please submit your answer in comment section.

The post Definition and introduction of radioactivity first appeared on Winner Science.