alpha radiation


noun
  1. alpha particles emitted from a radioactive isotope

Words Nearby alpha radiation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use alpha radiation in a sentence

Cultural definitions for alpha radiation

alpha radiation

[ (al-fuh) ]


Particles sent out by some radioactive nuclei, each particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons bound together. Alpha particles carry a positive charge. (See beta radiation and gamma radiation.)

Notes for alpha radiation

Alpha radiation, unlike gamma radiation, has low penetrating power; it can be stopped by clothing.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.