P6 Brief Notes

P6 – Radioactive Materials

• Atoms consist of a nucleus plus orbiting electrons
• The number of neutrons in an element isn’t fixed
• Radioactive elements emit ionising radiation
• Alpha radiation is slow and heavy
• Beta radiation is lighter and more penetrating
• Gamma radiation is an electromagnetic wave
• The radioactivity of a sample always decreases over time
• Rutherford’s scattering showed that atoms have a positive nucleus
• The…