Radioactivity

Alpha radiation is a type of radioactive decay in which an unstable nucleus releases an alpha particle, consisting of 2 protons and 2 neutrons, which is equivalent to a helium nucleus.

Beta radiation is a type of radioactive decay in which an unstable nucleus releases a beta particle, which is an electron or positron, resulting from the transformation of a neutron into a proton or vice versa.

Gamma radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted from the nucleus of an atom during radioactive decay, characterized by high energy and no mass.

A neutron is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, with no electric charge and a mass slightly greater than that of a proton.

An isotope is a variant of a chemical element that has the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, resulting in a different mass number.

To find the number of neutrons, subtract the atomic number (number of protons) from the mass number (total number of protons and neutrons).

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity and its position in the periodic table.

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

The nucleus of an atom is about 1/100,000th the size of the whole atom.

A helium nucleus, also known as an alpha particle, consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.