What Is Meant By Radioactivity?

In the present time, everybody in the world has heard about radio-activity. There may hardly be an exception. The testing of atom bombs creates radioactivity. This is one of the great problems faced by mankind now. Let us know what actual radioactivity is and what is its harmful effects?

The construction of every atom is more or less like our solar system. The nucleus is something like the Sun. The electrons take the place of planets that revolve around it. The nucleus is composed of one or two positively charged particles.

When something happens to cause the sendoff, of one or more particles from the nucleus of an atom, Radioactivity occurs. The atom may send out in the form of gamma rays, the energy. These two actions are simultaneous.

There are certain elements that are radioactive in their natural form, meaning that the discharge of atoms is constantly going on and is called to disintegrate. With the ‘send off’ or release of particles the element undergoes a change. Radium which is naturally radioactive sends off particles, disintegrates into other elements, and becomes lead.

Artificial radioactivity has now been produced by scientists. The bombardment of certain elements with particles, they could make those atoms begin to disintegrate and thus become radioactive. In the process bombarded atoms sendoff energy, and this is the reason why these machines are called “atom smashers”.

Radioactivity is a great danger to mankind. To understand let us picture the flying particles coming from the smashed atom. These particles smash other atoms when they strike. Their chemical character undergoes a change. These particles strike living cells in the body and cause charges there too. They can cause burns and destroy the skin. They can destroy red blood cells and cause changes in other cells also.

Radioactive can be useful to man in many ways, it can also be destructive and dangerous also.