Question

Gamma decay takes place (a) prior to alpha decay. (b) prior to beta decay.

Answer 1

Beta Radiation

Beta radiation is a stream of electrons emitted at a velocity approaching the speed of light, with kinetic energy between 0.2 MeV and 3.2 MeV. Given their lower mass of approximately 5.5×10−4 amu (9.130×l0−24 g), interactions between β particles and the atoms of pass-through materials are much less frequent than α particle interactions: fewer than 200 ion pairs are typically formed in each centimeter of passage through air.

From: Environmental Pollution and Control (Fourth Edition), 1998