Video Transcript
Which of the following is not an example of nonionizing radiation? (A) Infrared; (B) lower ultraviolet UV rays; (C) 𝛾 rays; (D) radio wave, RW, rays; or (E) microwave, MW, rays.
To answer this question, we need to identify which of the answer choices is not an example of nonionizing radiation. Radiation is a term that encompasses electromagnetic waves and fast-moving particles, such as 𝛼 and 𝛽 particles. Radiation can further be classified as ionizing or nonionizing. Ionizing radiation carries enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, whereas nonionizing radiation does not carry enough energy to remove electrons from atoms. So we can see that the difference between ionizing and nonionizing is the amount of energy the radiation carries. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the answer choices.
All five answer choices correspond to different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. At one end of the electromagnetic spectrum, we find longer low-energy waves, such as radio waves. As we move through the electromagnetic spectrum, the wavelengths decrease and the waves have greater energy. We know that ionizing radiation carries enough energy to remove electrons from atoms. So we should expect high-energy radiation, such as 𝛾 rays, to be ionizing, while low-energy radiation, such as radio waves, should be nonionizing.
In fact, the electromagnetic spectrum can be divided into nonionizing and ionizing radiation in the ultraviolet range. This means that infrared, lower ultraviolet rays, radio wave rays, and microwave rays are all examples of nonionizing radiation because they do not carry enough energy to remove electrons from atoms. 𝛾 rays, on the other hand, do have sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms and are therefore considered ionizing radiation.
So, of the answer choices, the type of radiation that is not an example of nonionizing radiation is answer choice (C), 𝛾 rays.
