Radiation Types and Interactions Quiz

A form of energy transfer that does not require a medium to propagate, meaning it can travel through the vacuum of space. It is emitted in the form of waves or particles.

Radiation that possesses enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms, creating ions. This includes electromagnetic waves with shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies, like X-rays and gamma rays, and subatomic particles like alpha and beta particles.

When an atom absorbs enough energy, an electron is ejected from its orbit, creating a positively charged ion and a free electron. This process results in an ion pair.

When an electron within an atom absorbs energy and moves to a higher energy level within the atom but does not leave the atom completely. The atom remains neutral in charge.

Fast-moving charged particles like electrons or protons transfer their energy directly to matter through numerous small interactions with atoms.

Particulate radiation emitted from unstable nuclei (beta decay) or produced in charged-particle collisions (delta rays). They are often accelerated in devices like linear accelerators.

Heavy charged particles like protons, deuterons, and alpha particles are accelerated using electric fields in devices like cyclotrons or linear accelerators. They are also sometimes emitted from radioactive nuclei.

The rate at which the energy fluence changes over time. It represents the amount of radiant energy passing through a unit area per unit time.

The total energy carried by all the rays crossing a small area, excluding their rest energy.

The rate at which particle fluence changes over time. It represents the number of particles passing through a unit area per unit time.

The total number of particles crossing a small area.

The process by which an unstable nucleus decays into a more stable configuration. This decay often results in the emission of radiation.

A type of nuclear decay where an atom's nucleus emits an alpha particle (two protons and two neutrons).

A type of nuclear decay where a nucleus emits a beta particle (either an electron or a positron).

A type of nuclear decay where a nucleus captures an inner shell electron, resulting in the emission of a neutrino.

A type of nuclear decay where a nucleus emits a gamma ray (a high-energy photon).

A type of radioactive decay where a proton in a nucleus transforms into a neutron, releasing a positron and a neutrino. The atomic number decreases by one, but the mass number stays the same.

A particle with the same mass as an electron but with a positive charge.

A neutral, nearly massless particle that is emitted during some radioactive decays, including beta-plus decay.

Nuclei of the same element having different mass numbers.

A high-energy photon emitted from a nucleus during gamma decay.

A short-lived excited state of a nucleus.

A process where a metastable nucleus decays to a lower energy state by emitting a gamma ray, often with a time delay.

The time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay.

A photon interaction where a photon transfers all its energy to a tightly bound electron in an inner shell, causing the electron to be ejected from the atom.

An elastic collision between a photon and a loosely bound electron where only part of the photon's energy is transferred to the electron, resulting in a scattered photon with lower energy.

The energy lost by a photon during the Compton scatter is transferred to a loosely bound electron, increasing its kinetic energy.

The process where charged particles (electrons or positrons) produced from photon interactions deposit their energy in the medium through collisions with atomic electrons.

The process where charged particles (electrons or positrons) produced from photon interactions lose energy by emitting photons as they interact with the medium.

The average rate at which a charged particle loses energy per unit length while traveling through a material.

The total percentage of the initial kinetic energy of a charged particle that is released as electromagnetic radiation during its slowing down and stopping.

The average distance a charged particle travels before coming to rest in a material.

A collision where the incident electron is deflected but does not lose any energy. The electron's path changes, but its energy remains the same. Think of two billiard balls colliding without losing energy.

A collision where the incident electron is deflected and loses some of its kinetic energy. The electron loses energy and changes direction. Think of a car hitting a wall and losing speed.

A collision of an incident electron with an atomic electron where the incident electron is deflected and loses some of its energy. Energy is transferred to the atom, exciting it or ejecting an electron.

A collision of an incident electron with the nucleus of an atom where the incident electron is deflected and loses some of its energy, which is emitted as bremsstrahlung radiation. This is a powerful effect where the electron brakes and releases energy.

A collision where the incident electron excites an atom or ionizes it by ejecting an electron. This happens when the impact parameter is large compared to the atom's radius.

A collision where the incident electron interacts strongly with a single atomic electron, leading to the electron's ejection with significant energy. This occurs when the impact parameter is close to the atomic radius.

A high-energy electron ejected from an atom during hard collisions. It dissipates its energy along its path, creating further ionizations. Remember, it's like the secondary effect of a hard collision.