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Beta particle

Alpha radiation consists of helium nuclei and is readily stopped by a sheet of paper. Beta radiation, consisting of electrons or positrons, is stopped by a thin aluminum plate, but gamma radiation requires shielding by dense material such as lead or concrete.[1]

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, known as beta decay. There are two forms of beta decay, β− decay and β+ decay, which produce electrons and positrons, respectively.[2]

Beta particles with an energy of 0.5 MeV have a range of about one metre in the air; the distance is dependent on the particle's energy and the air's density and composition.

Beta particles are a type of ionizing radiation, and for radiation protection purposes, they are regarded as being more ionising than gamma rays, but less ionising than alpha particles. The higher the ionising effect, the greater the damage to living tissue, but also the lower the penetrating power of the radiation through matter.

  1. ^ "Radiation Basics". United States Nuclear Regulatory Com. 2017-10-02.
  2. ^ Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (9 August 2000). "Beta Decay". Nuclear Wall Chart. United States Department of Energy. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

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