http://www.ck12.org Chapter 3. Chemical Interactions
3.62 Gamma Decay
- Describe gamma rays.
- State how and why gamma decay occurs.
- Explain why gamma rays are the most harmful type of radiation.
This stunning image is an artist’s rendition of a gamma ray burst. A gamma ray burst is a sudden, intense flash of
gamma rays given off by an extremely energetic explosion. The bursts have been observed in distant galaxies. But
gamma rays also occur on Earth.
What Are Gamma Rays?
Gamma raysare electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves are waves of electric and magnetic energy that
travel through space at the speed of light. The energy travels in tiny “packets” of energy, called photons. Photons of
gamma energy are called gamma particles. Other electromagnetic waves include microwaves, light rays, and X rays.
Gamma rays have the greatest amount of energy of all electromagnetic waves. You can learn more about gamma
radiation at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okyynBaSOtA
MEDIA
Click image to the left for use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/5015