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X-rays and gamma rays are considered low LET (sparsely ionizing) radiation types, while high-energetic protons, neutrons, and heavy charged particles are considered as high LET (densely ionizing) radiation. A proton can have high or low LET, depending on its energy.
Ionizing radiation consists of particles and photons that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms in the human body, thus inducing chemical changes that may be biologically important for the functioning of cells. The greatest exposure to ionizing radiation is from natural sources.
Protons + neutrons Radioactivity and radiation Although many nuclides are stable, most are not. Stability is determined mainly by the balance between the number of neutrons and protons a nuclide contains. Smaller stable nuclei have about equal numbers: larger stable nuclei have slightly more neutrons than protons.
Neutrons are uncharged subatomic particles of essentially the same mass as protons. They contribute to the structural stability of the nucleus—if there are too many or too few, the nucleus may disintegrate by radioactive decay—but they do not alter the chemical properties of the atom.
Neutrons, like protons, reside in the nucleus of an atom. They have a mass of 1 and no charge. The positive (protons) and negative (electrons) charges balance each other in a neutral atom, which has a net zero charge. Because protons and neutrons each have a mass of 1, the mass of an atom is equal to the number of protons and neutrons of that atom.
12 sie 2024 · Describe the interrelationship between protons, neutrons, and electrons; Compare the ways in which electrons can be donated or shared between atoms; Explain the ways in which naturally occurring elements combine to create molecules, cells, tissues, organ systems, and organisms
Figure 2.2 Elements, such as helium, depicted here, are made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of protons and neutrons located within the nucleus, with electrons in orbitals surrounding the nucleus. Protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass, about 1.67 × 10-24 grams.
