Video Transcript
Which of the following types of
radiation have no electric charge? a) Gamma radiation, b) alpha radiation, c) beta
radiation, d) free neutrons.
To figure out which of these types
of radiation have no electric charge, let’s go through the list top to bottom and
see what each type actually is, first, starting with gamma radiation. Gamma radiation consists of
photons, high energy electromagnetic radiation. This radiation has no mass and also
no electric charge. No protons or electrons are part of
gamma radiation. So right off the bat, we found a
type of radiation that has no electric charge. Let’s move on to option b, alpha
radiation.
We know that alpha radiation is the
radiation of an alpha particle. This particle consists of two
neutrons and two protons. Another name for an alpha particle
is the nucleus of a helium atom. Now, since this nucleus or this
alpha particle has two protons to it, that means it has a net electric charge. Since our question asks for
radiation types that have no electric charge, this won’t be an option we’ll
choose. Then, moving on to beta
radiation.
There are two types of beta
radiation. One involves the emission of an
electron. One involves the emission of an
electron as a beta particle, symbolised 𝛽⁻. And the other involves the emission
of what’s called a positron. This is symbolised 𝛽⁺. A positron is like an electron. But it has the opposite electric
charge, positive instead of negative. But since both types of beta
radiation have a net electric charge, we won’t use option c for our answer
either.
Finally, we consider the radiation
of free neutrons. And this is just what it sounds
like, neutrons uncharged particles being emitted from atomic nuclei. Since a neutron has no electric
charge, this type of radiation does fit our condition.
Free neutrons as well as gamma
radiation are types of radiation that have no electric charge.
