What is ionizing radiation?
Q: What is ionizing radiation?
A: Ionizing radiation is a process in physics where something sends out particles or waves that can ionize an atom or molecule through atomic interactions.
Q: How does the strength of ionizing radiation depend on?
A: The strength of ionizing radiation depends on the energy of the individual particles or waves, and not a function of the number of particles or waves present.
Q: What are some examples of electromagnetic radiation?
A: Examples of electromagnetic radiation include gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet radiation.
Q: What are some examples of subatomic particle radiation?
A: Examples of subatomic particle radiation include alpha particle radiation (made up of helium nuclei), beta particle radiation (made up energetic electrons or positrons), and neutron radiation (made up neutrons).
Q: Can people be harmed by large amounts of ionizing radiations?
A: Yes, larger amounts of ionizing radiations can make people sick or even kill them.
Q: Where does natural ionizing radiations come from?
A: Natural ionizing radiations is produced by radioactive decay from certain chemical elements such as uranium, stars and other things in outer space also produce this type if radiations.
Q: How long do some isotopes stay radioactive for?
A: Some isotopes that are radioactive only stay radioactive for much less than a second while others can stay radioactive for thousands years.
