Lectures on Physics has been derived from Benjamin Crowell's Light and Matter series of free introductory textbooks on physics. See the editorial for more information....

Home Electricity The Nucleus Summary
 
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Summary - Radioactivity

Rutherford and Marsden observed that some alpha particles from a beam striking a thin gold foil came back at angles up to 180 degrees. This could not be explained in the then-favored raisin-cookie model of the atom, and led to the adoption of the planetary model of the atom, in which the electrons orbit a tiny, positively-charged nucleus. Further experiments showed that the nucleus itself was a cluster of positively-charged protons and uncharged neutrons.

Radioactive nuclei are those that can release energy. The most common types of radioactivity are alpha decay (the emission of a helium nucleus), beta decay (the transformation of a neutron into a proton or vice-versa), and gamma decay (the emission of a type of very-high-frequency light). Stars are powered by nuclear fusion reactions, in which two light nuclei collide and form a bigger nucleus, with the release of energy.

Human exposure to ionizing radiation is measured in units of millirem. The typical person is exposed to about 100 mrem worth of natural background radiation per year.


Home Electricity The Nucleus Summary

Last Update: 2009-06-21