Radioactivity and its application

Radioactivity 1
Radioactivity and its application
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Radioactivity 2
Radioactivity and its application
According to Poenaru and Iva (2016) “radioactivity is a spontaneous random emission of
particles from the nucleus of an unstable nuclide.” This process is not dependent on the external
factors such as temperature, pressure or chemical composition.
In a radioactive process, radiations are emitted from the nucleus of an atom. The popular
forms of radiations are alpha (a), beta (B) and gamma (g). These radiations originating from
nucleus are referred to as nuclear reactions (Goldstein and Wilkins, 2011). These radiations are
identified as per the characteristics the exhibit.
According to Crundell, M. (2014) “the nuclides can either be stable or unstable, the
stable nuclides have a neutron/proton (n/p) ratio of around 1:1.” An example is calcium (Ca)
with 20 neutrons and 20 protons, thus having the n/p ratio of 20:20= 1:1. Nuclides with a higher
atomic numbers have n/p ratio increasing gradually to about 1.6:1 which is still in the stability
section. Above this ratio the nucleus becomes huge and unstable, hence chances of undergoing
radioactive decay rise.
The following are the three forms of radiation forms of radiations.
Alpha radiation
Alpha emissions are positively charged helium nuclei, represented as 2
4
He2+ in a
nuclear reactions. If a nuclide decays by liberating an alpha particle, the mass number reduces by
4 and the proton number by 2.

Radioactivity 3
Properties of alpha radiation
As argued by Lowenthal and Airey (2001), alpha particles have possess an electric charge
of 2+. They are therefore attracted to negative plate in an electric field. They are also less
deflected in the electric field as compared to a beta particles due to its heaviness.
Alpha particles have a very high ionizing power due to electric charge of 2+ its particles
have. Large number of ions are therefore produced as they pass through due to their charge and
slow speeds. Slow speeds gives time the alpha particles to be in contact with the gasses for a
relatively longer time.
Lowenthal and Airey (2001) believes that alpha radiations are less penetrative compared
to beta and gamma radiations. They can therefore be shielded (stopped) by a piece of paper or a
cardboard. Among the three emissions alpha particle is the heaviest.
An example of alpha emission process is illustrated below.
Z
A X → Z −2
A−4 Y + 2
4 He 92
238 U → 90
234 Th+2
4 He