Alpha, Beta and Gamma

Alpha, Beta and Gamma

Alpha particles are helium nuclei (2 protons and 2 neutrons):

• They are relatively big and heavy and fairly slow
• They don't penetrate far into materials but are stopped quickly
• They are highly ionising
• They're positively charged, so they are deflected by electric and magnetic fields

Beta particles are electrons:

• A beta particle is an electron that has been emitted from the nucleus of an atom when a nuetron turns into a proton and an electron, so…