Compared to alpha particles, beta particles are:

Compared to alpha particles, beta particles are:

• A. Faster and more penetrating than alpha.
• B. Slower and less penetrating than alpha.
• C. Negatively charged and non-penetrating.
• D. Non-ionizing and harmless.

Answer: (A)

Beta particles are lighter and carry a single electric charge, either negative or positive. This small mass and single charge let them travel much faster than alpha particles, which are heavy helium nuclei with a +2 charge. Because of their greater speed and lighter interaction with matter, beta particles penetrate more materials than alpha particles—the shielding needed is typically plastic or thin metal, whereas alpha particles are stopped by a sheet of paper or even a few centimeters of air. They are still ionizing radiation, so external exposure can be hazardous if shielding isn’t adequate. The idea that beta particles are slower or non-penetrating isn’t correct, and neither is the notion that they’re non-ionizing or harmless.

Beta particles are lighter and carry a single electric charge, either negative or positive. This small mass and single charge let them travel much faster than alpha particles, which are heavy helium nuclei with a +2 charge. Because of their greater speed and lighter interaction with matter, beta particles penetrate more materials than alpha particles—the shielding needed is typically plastic or thin metal, whereas alpha particles are stopped by a sheet of paper or even a few centimeters of air. They are still ionizing radiation, so external exposure can be hazardous if shielding isn’t adequate. The idea that beta particles are slower or non-penetrating isn’t correct, and neither is the notion that they’re non-ionizing or harmless.