Which of the following arrangements of radiations is in the order of decreasing penetrating power?
Answer Details
The penetrating power of radiation is a measure of its ability to penetrate through matter. The more penetrating the radiation is, the farther it can travel through matter. In general, the penetrating power of radiation is inversely proportional to its ionizing power.
- Alpha particles (\(\alpha\)): They are positively charged and have a large mass. They have a low penetrating power and are stopped by a sheet of paper or a few centimeters of air.
- Beta particles (\(\beta\)): They are negatively charged and have a smaller mass compared to alpha particles. They have a higher penetrating power than alpha particles and can penetrate through a few millimeters of aluminum or several meters of air.
- Gamma rays (\(\gamma\)): They are neutral and have no mass. They have the highest penetrating power and can penetrate through several centimeters of lead or many meters of concrete.
Therefore, the correct order of decreasing penetrating power is \(\gamma, \beta, \alpha\). lists the radiations in this order.