What is Ionising Radiation?
All matter is made up of atoms consisting of a nucleus surrounded by negatively charged electrons, similar to the sun surrounded by the planets. The nucleus consists of neutrons and positively charged protons. Atoms containing the same number of protons have identical chemical properties and are known as elements. Elements with a different number of neutrons are known as isotopes. There are 88 naturally occuring elements some examples of which are oxygen, iron, sulphur, uranium and radon gas etc. Some atoms are radioactive (they are called radionuclides) and the nucleus of such atoms can change structure (lose energy); in so doing the energy is emitted as radiation in three main forms: alpha rays, beta rays and gamma rays. This process is termed radioactive decay and the resulting daughter product, a new element, is formed as a result. These radiations can interact with surrounding matter to produce positively and negatively charged particles (a type of electricity). This process is ca
