What is radiation?
Radiation is energy given off by matter in the form of rays or high-speed particles. There are many kinds of radiation and not all of them are dangerous.
Heat and light are actually types of radiation that humans can see and feel. However, there are other types that we can’t detect. One of these is particle or “nuclear" radiation, which is used in nuclear power plants.
What is ionizing radiation?
Nuclear radiation is a type of ionizing radiation, which is invisible and passes through matter. We use ionizing radiation like x-rays and gamma rays all the time for medical purposes. However, large doses of ionizing radiation passing through living tissue can affect natural biological processes. Exposure to large doses can be harmful to one’s health.
The effect of radiation exposure is dependent on three factors:
- strength of the radiation
- size of the body
- length of exposure.
