Inorganic chemistry Assistance Lecturer Amjad Ahmed Jumaa  Alpha (α)-rays (radiation).  Beta (β)-rays (radiation).  Gamma (γ)-rays(radiation). 1

Alpha (α)-rays (radiation): The properties: 1- nature: they have a mass of 4 amu and charge of +2. They are helium nuclei and helium 2- Velocity: α-particles are ejected from radioactive nuclei with very high velocity, about one-tenth that of light. 3- Penetrating power: They are stopped by a sheet of paper, 0.01mm thick aluminum foil or a few centimeters of air. 4-ionization: they cause intense ionization of a gas through which they pass.

Beta (β)-rays (radiation): The properties: 1-nature identical with electrons. They have very small mass (1/1827 amu), and charge of -1. They represented as. 2-velocity: their velocity is about the same as of light. 3-penetrating power: they can be stopped by 1cm. thick sheet of aluminum or 1m. Of air. 4-ionization:the ionization produced by β-particles, in a gas is about one-hundredth of that of α-particles. thus they are poor ionizer.

Gamma (γ)-rays(radiation): The properties: 1-nature:γ-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation of a shorter wavelength than x-rays they have no mass or charge and may be symbolized as, 2-velocity: like all forms of electromagnetic radiation, γ-rays travel with the velocity of light. 3-ionization power: their ionizing power is very weak in comparison to α- and β-particles. γ-rays are weak ionizer. 4-penetrating power: They can not stop even by a 5 cm. thick sheet of lead or several meters thick layer of concrete.

Table (1): comparison of properties of α, β and γ-rays: