What is alpha radiation?

Answer 1

A helium nucleus = 2 proton + 2 neutron

Answer 2

Alpha decay is a form of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus ejects an alpha particle through the electromagnetic force and transforms into a nucleus with mass number 4 less and atomic number 2 less.(The second form is also preferred because, to the casual observer, the first form appears electrically unbalanced. Fundamentally, the recoiling nucleus is soon stripped of two electrons to neutralize the hungry helium cation.)

An alpha particle is a helium nucleus, and both mass number and atomic number are conserved. Alpha decay can essentially be thought of as nuclear fission where the parent nucleus splits into two daughter nuclei. Alpha decay is fundamentally a quantum tunneling process. Unlike beta decay, alpha decay is governed by the strong nuclear force.

Alpha particles with their typical kinetic energy of 5 MeV (that is ≈0.13% of their total energy, i.e. 110 TJ/kg), have a speed of 15,000 km/s.

Because of alpha decay, virtually all of the helium produced on Earth comes from trapped underground deposits associated with minerals containing uranium or thorium, and brought to the surface as a by-product of natural gas production.

Answer 3

Alpha radiation is a nucleus of He4. it is the nucleus of the stable isotope of helium and consits of two protons and two neutrons.

Since alpha particles are very heavy (for a radiation)? they loose quickly their energy and stop quickly (about cm in air , µm in tissues) . So they are not harmful when non swallowed. On an opposite way, when inhaled or swallowed they are the most dangerous poison known until to day. it is that they destroy all tissues which they touch.

Answer 4

It's what you get from uranium when it decays radioactively. It is a helium nucleus (two protons, two neutrons), so the daughter element has an atomic number two less, and an atomic mass four less, than the original. Alpha radiation has little penetrating power because it interacts strongly with materials.

Answer 5

It is radiation given off from radioactive compounds such as thorium which is used in several imaging tests such as CTs, MRIs, etc. Alpha emitters are also the basis of smoke detectors and are used to treat some cancers.

Answer 6

when an atom emitts a helium nucleus

Answer 7

one better than beta radiation.

Answer 8

well, its the helium nucleus