You might have heard the word radiation in your school books or comics. While radiation might be shown in a certain manner in movies but in real life its completely different. The radiation can come from the sun or electronic items that everyone uses in their daily life.
A banana is also a radioactive material according to science. Most of the radiation that you are exposed to in the daily is not harmful so it might not affect you.
While there are some radiations which can harm you if you come in contact with them. In some radiations the longer you are exposed to them, the more harmful they will be for you. So you can find information about various types of radiations, their cause, and its dangers.
Radiation is defined as the transmission of energy from a body in the form of waves or particles. So this will include everything from harmless banana to the nuclear power plant.
What are the types of radiation?
There are mainly three types of radiation in which the energy is released in the form of waves, particles or rays. So here is the definition of all the three types of radiation.
Ionizing radiation – In ionization radiation, the electron can be removed from the orbital and form an ion. The ionization radiation consists of x-ray, gamma rays, and Alpha & beta particles.
Non-Ionizing radiation – The non-ionization radiation is the release of energy from lower energy start of the electromagnetic spectrum. These radiations include light, microwave, infrared, light and UV light.
Neutron – Neutrons are found in the atomic nucleus and when they break off, they have the energy to act as radiation.
Some examples of radiation
Here are some of the examples when radiation is emitted in the form of particle. These are some of the common and well-known examples of what is radiation.
- When you burn a candle then it can emit radiation in the form of light and heat
- Sun also emits radiation in the form of heat, light, and particles
- An electron which goes from one energy state to a lower one also emit radiation in photon form
- Uranium-238 also emit radiation in the form of alpha particles when it decays into Thorium-234
What is the cause of radiation?
The radiation can because due to various reasons and if you want to know about them then you can get all such information here. Non-ionizing radiation has limitations and it is a lower energy range electromagnetic radiant meaning that it is a form of light.
Visible light is a small section of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. So if want to learn more about what is radiation then you can consider reading these things.
Every light is a try of radiation – In the sun or any other star, there are hydrogen atoms available. They continuously bounce around and when the pressure and temperature get too high the hydrogen atoms can collide.
This collision can result in the formation of a helium atom. This formation of an atom due to the collision is known as nuclear fusion. During the fusion process, the energy is released as a byproduct and this energy is the radiation created by the stars.
For example, if you turn on a light bulb then it can also be an example for radiation. When you turn on the bulb the electricity will pass through the tungsten filament which is surrounded in an inert gas to prevent it from catching fire.
All the electron inside the bulb collides with the tungsten. This causes a vibration amongst the atom and this vibration can cause radiation in the form of heat and light.
The decay of particle – During the alpha decay, an atom changes into two neutrons and protons. It is similar to the nucleus of the helium atom. For the beta decay, the atom splits into an electron or positron which is the antimatter counterpart for an electron.
The atom changes its energy by moving the neutrons and protons in the nucleus. Due to this, it releases a high energy photon which is called gamma wave. With the nuclear fission in the power plant, it can be created.
Applications of Radiation in various industries
If you want to know what is radiation then you need to learn about its application in various industries. By simply getting information about all these applications you can get a better understanding of radiation.
Medical Industry – There are various types of procedure in the medical industries which depend on the use of radiation. You can find certain medial treatments which required radiation therapy.
When it’s impossible to operate on a person due to the risk of clipping the veins, radiation therapy is used. It can pass through the skin without causing any damage. It can be used to cure cancer tissues and minimize the size of the tumor.
Industrial uses – Food and certain medical instruments are exposed to the radiation in order to kill the germs. Such treatment also ensures the longevity of the food items and it can also be used to sterilized syringes.
You might know that Ultraviolet light which is a form of radiation can be used for disinfecting drinking water.
Scientific uses – The radiation is used by archaeologists in order to determine the ages of fossils. To find the age of a fossil a process name carbon dating is used. By checking the radioactive isotope of carbon-14 the age of a fossil can be determined.
Using the help of radioactivity, a scientist has been able to determine the approximate age of various products.
Nuclear power plants – Electricity is produced by nuclear fission is the best example of radiation. It is used in almost every country around the world to generate energy efficiently. In order to get information regarding what is radiation, you need to learn all these things.
Conclusion
So if you want to learn about what is radiation then these are all the things which you need to keep in mind. Since the past few decades, the use of radiation in various industries has increased significantly.
It is also used in agriculture and law enforcement agency which helps in making the various process easier.
You can find more information in-depth regarding the use of radiation in several industries. If you are interested in the study of radiation then it will be quite helpful.