Which of the following radiations emitted in radioactive decay has momentum, a fairly high penetrating power and is deflected by a magnet?
Answer Details
The radiation emitted in radioactive decay that has momentum, a fairly high penetrating power, and is deflected by a magnet is the beta particle. Beta particles are fast-moving electrons or positrons emitted from the nucleus of an atom during radioactive decay. They have a negative charge, a mass of about 1/1836th of a proton, and can penetrate several millimeters of matter. Beta particles can be deflected by a magnetic field, which is a characteristic of charged particles in motion. In contrast, alpha particles are heavy particles consisting of two protons and two neutrons, which have a high ionizing power but are not deflected by a magnetic field. Gamma radiation and X-radiation are both electromagnetic radiation and do not have charge or mass, so they are not deflected by a magnetic field.