What is radiation and how is it caused?

Answer 1

event of the particles when they r excited from their lower energy state to higher energy state........and in that state they release their excited state energy in the form of radiations......

Answer 2

Radiation is a general term that describes a range of things such as light, radio waves and nuclear radiation.

Generally light radiation is caused by release of energy as electrons at a high quantum state drops to a lower quantum state and releases the energy initially used to raise the electron to the higher energy level.

In the case of nuclear radiation this is caused by unstable atoms trying to become more stable. The stability of an atom is related to the ratio of neutrons to protons in the nucleus so the emission of radiation should produce a more stable element.

If there is too many neutrons an electron is released from a neutron turning it in to a proton. This electron is a beta particle.

If too many protons are present usually an alpha particle is released, this is a helium nuclei, this also helps stability by making a lighter element.

Finally gamma rays are slightly different, when a nucleus emits alpha or beta radiation the nucleus may end up in an excited state, when it falls back to the ground state it releases a high energy photon which is the gamma ray.

Answer 3

There are many types of radiation, even sub-types. Electromagnetic radiation, for example, ranges from radio signals to heat (infra red) to light, microwaves, and more dangerous cancer-causing UV, X-Rays and Gamma rays. Nuclear radiation is a combination of high-energy electromagnetic radiation, as well as high-speed electrons and positrons and even heavy fast-moving neutrons and alpha particles. Each poses different dangers and are not so simple to understand, which is why nuclear facilities are treated so carefully.

For example, alpha particles can be blocked by a piece of paper. Other types go through several feet of concrete. Some bits of radiation interact with matter to make thousands of dangerous particles, making it more dangerous to stand behind a shield than not to. It's not all intuitive.

Answer 4

radiation is simply an emanation of particles from a source. that's radiation.

there's many types of radiation - if you're talking about nuclear radiation - it's particles expelled from some radioactive substance usually because it's unstable.

the sun radiates light; even a person can "radiate"

Answer 5

It is anything that radiates in straight lines from the source. Light is radiation. That includes regular visible light, infrared light, radio waves, ultraviolet light, x-rays and gamma rays. Subatomic particles that fly out in straight lines from a source, like electrons, neutrons, alpha particles (which are helium atoms with no electrons) and others are also radiation. Unstable atoms, like plutonium, spontaneously fling small parts of themselves out at high speed. Nuclear reactions can also send these kinds of particles out. Electromagnetic forces can strip electrons off of atoms and throw them out at high speed.

So basically it is many things and has many causes.

Answer 6

It is (particles or units of this reality) in a state of inbalance and transition. so any movement will cause radiation.

Answer 7

radiation is something that effects you by attacking the atoms

Answer 8

http://www.linkmicrotek.com/pdfs/appnotes_rad_3.pdf#search='What%20is%20radiation%20and%20how%20is%20it%20caused'

A good link for you pdf required to read it.