| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,895,068,255 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
alpha particle |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
alpha particle, a particle emitted from an atom during one kind of radioactive decay. It consists of two protons and two neutrons, the equivalent of a helium nucleus. Ordinarily, alpha particles are a weak form of radiation with a short range and are not considered hazardous unless inhaled or ingested. particle, n a small amount of material. particle, alpha, n (alpha ray, alpha radiation) a positively charged particulate ionizing radiation consisting of helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons) traveling at high speeds. These rays are emitted from the nucleus of an unstable element. particle, beta, n (beta ray, beta radiation) a particulate ionizing radiation consisting of either negative electrons (negatrons) or positive electrons (positrons) emitted from the nucleus of an unstable element. This phenomenon is called beta decay. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Medical Dictionary |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup |
|---|