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This lesson covers the three main types of nuclear radiation — alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) — as required by the Edexcel GCSE Physics specification (1PH0), Topic 6: Radioactivity. You need to know the nature, charge, mass, penetrating power, ionising ability and range of each type of radiation.
Some atomic nuclei are unstable. An unstable nucleus will emit radiation in order to become more stable — this process is called radioactive decay. It is a random process: you cannot predict exactly when a particular nucleus will decay, but you can predict the behaviour of a large number of nuclei.
The three main types of nuclear radiation are:
Exam Tip: Radioactive decay is a nuclear process — it involves changes in the nucleus of the atom. It is NOT a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions involve electrons; radioactive decay involves protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
An alpha particle consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons — it is identical to a helium-4 nucleus.
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