Which of the following best explains why radiation is far less penetrating than…
PHYSICS · Single correct · A Level · Physics · Nuclear physics · Nuclear physics
Problem
Which of the following best explains why α radiation is far less penetrating than β radiation of comparable kinetic energy?
(a) The α particle has nearly zero mass and therefore transfers little momentum to matter, so it quickly stops after only a short distance.
(b) The β particle is electrically neutral and thus interacts very weakly with atoms, allowing it to penetrate further than α radiation.
(c) The α particle has much greater mass and carries twice the electric charge, causing frequent, highly ionizing collisions that rapidly slow it down.
(d) Because β particles move essentially at the speed of light, they spend too little time near any atom to interact significantly, so they pass farther through a barrier than α particles.