What does beta particle mean in physics?
What does beta particle mean in physics?
Beta particles (β) are high energy, high speed electrons (β-) or positrons (β+) that are ejected from the nucleus by some radionuclides during a form of radioactive decay called beta-decay. Beta-decay normally occurs in nuclei that have too many neutrons to achieve stability.
What are four properties of beta particles?
They can affect photographic plate. They can produce fluorescence in willemite, barium platinocyanide etc. They are deflected by magnetic and electric field. Their direction of deflection has proven that they are negatively charged particles.
What are properties of beta rays?
Gamma Rays
| Property | α ray | β ray |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Positive charged particles, 2He 4 nucleus | Negatively charged particles (electrons). |
| Charge | +2e | –e |
| Mass | 6.6466 × 10–27 kg | 9.109 × 10–31 kg |
| Range | ~10 cm in air, can be stopped by 1mm of Aluminium | Upto a few m in air, can be stopped by a thin layer of Aluminium |
What force makes a beta particle?
the weak force
Beta decay is a consequence of the weak force, which is characterized by relatively lengthy decay times. Nucleons are composed of up quarks and down quarks, and the weak force allows a quark to change its flavour by emission of a W boson leading to creation of an electron/antineutrino or positron/neutrino pair.
What is a beta particle GCSE?
The beta particle is an electron but it has come from the nucleus, not the outside of the atom. Electrons are not normally expected to be found in the nucleus but neutrons can split into a positive proton (same mass but positive charge).
What is a beta plus particle?
Positron (ß+) emission If the nucleus has too few neutrons, a proton will turn into a neutron and emit a fast-moving positron. This positron can be called a beta plus (β+) particle – this process is known as positron emission. A positron is the antimatter version of an electron.
Which is the best description of a beta particle?
A beta particle, also called beta ray or beta radiation (symbol β), is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted by the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus during the process of beta decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β− decay and β+ decay, which produce electrons and positrons respectively.
What is the two properties of beta particles?
Property 1: Beta particles (β – particles) are fast-moving electrons or positrons with high energy emitted by the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus. Property 2: Penetrating power of beta particles is higher than α-particles. They can penetrate through a thin metal foil.
What are alpha gamma and beta particles?
Alpha radiation is the name for the emission of an alpha particle in fact an helium nuclei, beta radiation is the emission of electrons or positrons , and gamma radiation is the term used for the emission of energetic photons.
What is beta and alpha in physics?
Alpha particles are therefore positively charged particles moving at high speeds. Beta particles are emitted by neutron rich unstable nuclei. Beta particles are high energy electrons.
How do beta particles cause ionisation?
A beta particle may collide with an orbital electron or come into close proximity to it and cause the electron to be ejected, thereby resulting in the formation of an ion pair. The probability of beta particle interactions with atomic electrons increases with the density of the absorbing material.
What is beta particle energy?
Beta particles with an energy of 0.5 MeV have a range of about one metre in air; the distance is dependent on the particle energy. Beta particles are a type of ionizing radiation and for radiation protection purposes are regarded as being more ionising than gamma rays, but less ionising than alpha particles.
Why beta particles are called fast moving electrons?
Fast moving electrons are also termed as beta particles. Beta rays are defined as the stream of beta particles moving together in a particular direction with certain kinetic energy. Was this answer helpful?