Radioactive Decay Processes

Radioactive Decay Processes

When nuclei decay by alpha or beta emission, they change from one element to another.

Alpha

• They're helium nuclei - made up of 2 protons and 2 neutrons
• Relatively big, heavy and slow moving
• They don't penetrate very far into materials and are stopped easily
• They are strongly ionising, meaning they 'bash' into lots of atoms and 'knock' electrons off

Beta

• They're electrons - virtually no mass and a charge of -1
• They're…