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RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
SRP Posters for Schools See our website for more free to download resources.
www.srp-uk.org/public-and-schools/resources-for-schools Basics - Poster 1

Radioactive Emissions
The first three to be discovered were Alpha (α), Beta (β) and Gamma (γ)
The Atom Alpha decay

A A-4
Z X Z-2 Y +

4
He
2

Atomic Number (Z) This is the number of protons

(and determines what element it is)
Mass Number (A) This is the number of protons +
number of neutrons
Number of electrons = number of protons Alpha particles are very much bigger than electrons. They are
A made up of two protons and two neutrons bound together, the
An element X is written Z X
same as a helium nucleus.
An element, for example, potassium, can have more than one
In both alpha and beta decay the remaining atom is a different
isotope. For each isotope, the atomic number (Z) will be the
same, but the mass number (A) will be different, depending on element.
how many neutrons are included in the atom. Some isotopes
may be radioactive and emit radiation such as alpha, beta or
gamma, while others will be stable and emit no radiation. For
40
example, the naturally occurring potassium isotope 19K (also
written as K-40 or potassium-40) is radioactive, but the most Gamma decay
39
abundant potassium isotope 19 K (or K-39) is stable.

Beta decay A A
Z X Z+1 Y + β

0
-1 e A
Z
X*

After an alpha or beta decay, the nucleus is often in an excited state

In beta decay of an unstable nucleus a neutron splits into a proton
and an electron.
The electron is ejected from the nucleus at high speed and the
maximum energy of the electron is characteristic of the nuclide.
and releases energy in the form of a gamma photon.
The atom remains the same element.
Some examples are amercium-241 (Am-241) which emits alpha
and gamma, and cobalt-60 (Co-60) which emits beta and gamma.
Images provided by courtesy of Public Health England

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