Radiation and the World We Live in
Table of Contents
What is radiation?
Radiation can be interpreted as the energy emitted in the form of particles or waves. Understanding of radiation and waves can be explained in the following event.
What do you do if you see a pond of calm water on which the surface floats a few leaves? You might spontaneously throw a pebble into the pond. You can see that the ripple will appear on the location of the gravel, which will then spread in a circle. The ripples are waves and show the movement of energy given by gravel, and that energy spreads from the location of the fall of the gravel in all directions. When the ripple reaches the leaf, the leaf will rise to the top of the wave.
A wave of water ripples
Based on these events it can be seen that to lift something energy is needed. Therefore, the lifting of the leaf shows that the wave has energy, and that energy has moved from the location of the fall of the gravel to the location of the lifting of the leaf. The same is true for various types of waves and other radiation.
One characteristic of all radiation is that radiation has a wavelength, which is the distance from a wave peak to the peak of the next wave.
Understanding the wavelength
Types of radiation Radiation consists of several types, and each type of radiation has its wavelength.
Judging from its mass, radiation can be divided into electromagnetic radiation and particle radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is radiation that has no mass. This radiation consists of radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, X-rays, gamma rays and cosmic rays. Particle radiation is radiation in the form of particles that have mass, for example, beta particles, alpha, and neutrons.
If in terms of "electric charge", radiation can be divided into ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is radiation which when it hits or crashes into something, there will be electrically charged particles called ions. The occurrence of this ion is called ionization. This ion will then have an effect or influence on the material, including living things. Ionizing radiation is also called atomic radiation or nuclear radiation. Included in ionizing radiation are X-rays, gamma rays, cosmic rays, and beta particles, alpha, and neutrons. Beta particles, alpha, and neutrons can cause ionization directly. Although it does not have mass and electric charge, X-rays, gamma rays and cosmic rays are also included in ionizing radiation because it can cause indirect ionization. Non-ionizing radiation is radiation that cannot cause ionization. Included in non-ionizing radiation are radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light and ultraviolet.
This article will only discuss ionizing radiation, especially X-rays and gamma rays. Both types of radiation have a greater potential hazard than other types of radiation. The influence of cosmic rays can almost be ignored because before reaching the human body, this radiation has interacted first with the earth's atmosphere. Beta radiation can only penetrate thin paper, and cannot penetrate the human body, so the effect can be ignored. Likewise with alpha radiation, which can only penetrate several millimeters of air. While neutron radiation is generally only found in nuclear reactors.