A substance or material is “radioactive” if it has a lot of radioactive material or is mostly made up of radioactive material. As radioactive atoms break down over time, the radioactive materials made during natural gas exploration give off radiation. The number of unstable atoms in radioactive material decreases with time, making the material less radioactive. Furthermore, radioactive atoms emit particles or energy from the nucleus.
They also emit invisible radiation. Radioactivity is a property or state of certain substances. A substance is radioactive if it generates energy by emitting subatomic particles. Atoms are made up of tiny particles called subatomic particles, such as protons, electrons, and neutrons (Abubakar, 2019). A radioactive material is something whose atoms give off energy in the form of subatomic particles that sensors in the environment can pick up. Radioactivity exists as a form of potential energy within radioactive substances.
Radioactive decay is when a nucleus breaks apart into pieces with different masses, atomic numbers, or both. It is found in atoms with higher atomic numbers and lower nuclear stability. Atoms with lower atomic numbers experience little to no radioactive decay. On the other hand, atoms with an even number of protons and neutrons are typically more stable than those with an odd number of protons and neutrons. If the daughter of the parent isotope, the product of radioactive decay, is unstable, it will also decay (Abubakar, 2019). The procedure is repeated until a stable nuclide is produced. You can’t change how a radioactive substance breaks down because, by definition, it makes energy from within itself. If energy is put into a substance and that energy causes the substance to release energy, this is not radioactivity.
The radioactive nucleus’ alpha decay produces alpha particles. Since the nucleus is in an unstable state, a piece of it is ejected in order to stabilize it. The alpha particle acquires electrons rapidly and transforms into a helium atom. Helium is a gas that doesn’t move and isn’t dangerous. It becomes dangerous, however, when it is ejected at high speeds from atomic nuclei. Alpha particles have enough energy at high speeds to break bonds in matter or ionize atoms, which is bad for living cells.
Alpha particles don’t go very far into matter, but eating something that gives off alpha particles would be dangerous (EUROfusion, n.d.). Radium, for example, can be discovered underground as a solid rock mixed with granite. However, it becomes radon, a natural gas, when it undergoes alpha decay. The radon then seeps up through the ground and into people’s basements. It can then break down, sending more alpha particles (or other types of radiation) straight into tissues that aren’t protected (“Radioactive decay types article (article),” n.d.). This method of radon exposure is a major risk factor for lung cancer in many regions of the world.
Nuclear fusion happens when the nuclei of tiny atoms combine to form a new element and release energy, such as when two hydrogen atoms combine to form helium. The study of different ways to get total control over nuclear fusion reactions led to the creation of systems that are now used in a lot of scientific research. Scientists must start practical fusion in a controlled way that makes much more energy than they put in. This energy can eventually boil water, turn turbines, and generate electricity, among other things. One method for accomplishing this goal is to use lasers to confine and compress the fusion fuel in a small space. There are many benefits to having more access to energy, such as better health, economic growth, and social stability (Sandri et al., 2020). If the government gives scientists more money, I think they will be able to speed up their experiments on fusion.
References
Abubakar, M. S. (2019). Just a moment... ResearchGate | Find and share research. Web.
EUROfusion. (n.d.). How are Alpha particles produced and how dangerous are they?– EUROfusion. Web.
Radioactive decay types article (article). (n.d.). Khan Academy. Web.
Sandri, S., Contessa, G. M., D’Arienzo, M., Guardati, M., Guarracino, M., Poggi, C., & Villari, R. (2020). undefined. Environments, 7(1), 6. Web.