What exactly is radioactivity?
As its name implies, radioactivity is the act of emitting radiation spontaneously. This is done by an atomic nucleus that, for some reason, is unstable; it “wants” to give up some energy in order to shift to a more stable configuration.
What is radioactivity and is it always harmful?
No, ionizing radiation is only harmful to an organism as a whole when its amount gets too high. We are constantly bombarded with very small amounts of ionizing radiation that occur naturally, and we get along just fine with our lives without being seriously harmed by this radiation.
What is radioactivity kid definition?
Radioactivity is a feature of certain types of matter. All matter is made of chemical elements, and elements are made of atoms. The atoms are changed a little bit each time they release something. They keep giving off particles and energy until they are changed into a stable form. That process is called decay.
What is an example of radioactivity?
For example, uranium and thorium are two radioactive elements found naturally in the Earth’s crust. Over billions of years, these two elements slowly change form and produce decay products such as radium and radon. During this process, energy is released. One form of this energy is alpha radiation.
What are three facts on radiation?
People emit more radiation than their cell phones do. Most of the radiation people are exposed to daily is not harmful because it is non-ionizing. Inside the Chernobyl reactors grows a type of fungus that actually thrives on radiation. A toy released in the 1950s had uranium samples in it.
How is radiation good for humans?
Supplementation with low dose irradiation lowered the cancer death rate, reduced infectious diseases, and provided a longer, healthy life in humans (Luckey, 1997b). Premature cancer deaths are caused by insufficient radiation.
How do you explain radioactivity to a child?
Radioactivity is simply when very small particles in objects emit energy or smaller particles. The energy that is produced can result in cancer, serious environmental damage, or helpful technologies. There are different degrees of radioactivity, and different exposures increase the harm it can cause.
What are uses of radioactivity?
Today, to benefit humankind, radiation is used in medicine, academics, and industry, as well as for generating electricity. In addition, radiation has useful applications in such areas as agriculture, archaeology (carbon dating), space exploration, law enforcement, geology (including mining), and many others.