penetrating power
What penetrating power means in Physics GCSE, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of penetrating power
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Reference: AQA
Runs the other way: alpha is stopped by paper or skin, beta by a few millimetres of aluminium, and gamma is only reduced by thick lead or concrete.
Ordered as alpha least, beta intermediate and gamma greatest, because the emissions differ in how far they travel through matter.
Topics that use penetrating power
- Radioactive contamination (AQA GCSE)
- Radioactive emissions (OCR GCSE)
Related terms
- ionising power
- Absorbing materials
- Alpha emission
- alpha inside the body
- Beta emission
- conservation of charge
- conservation of mass number
- contamination
Using penetrating power in the exam
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