Properties of Radiation Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

What material will stop alpha radiation?

A sheet of paper; it is also absorbed by a few cm of air.

What material will stop beta radiation?

A few mm of aluminium.

What material is needed to absorb most gamma radiation?

Thick lead or several metres of concrete.

True or false? Gamma is the most ionising of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

False. Alpha is the most ionising and gamma the least; gamma is the most penetrating.

What is ionising radiation?

Radiation that can remove electrons from atoms, leaving them as charged ions.