Aluminum is a metalloid that is capable of stopping beta radiation due to its electrostatic interaction with the charged beta particle. Beta particles are much smaller than alpha particles and have greater penetrating power, but a thin sheet of aluminum is enough to stop them. Aluminum-26 has a very short half-life of approximately 770,000 years and plays an important role in the formation of planets such as Earth. It can provide enough heat through radioactive decay to produce planetary bodies with stratified interiors.
Nuclear reactions release some of the binding energy and can convert small amounts of matter into energy. When studying nuclear reactions, there is usually little information or concern about the chemical status of radioactive isotopes, because electrons in the electron cloud are not directly involved in the nuclear reaction. When it comes to nuclear decay, aluminum is an effective barrier against beta radiation. Its metalloid properties cause an electrostatic interaction with the charged beta particle, which is generally an electron but can be a positron in the case of beta-plus decay. This electrostatic interaction helps dissipate excess energy from the electron, slowing its progress and limiting its penetrating capabilities.
Most resources say that beta particles can be stopped with quarter-inch thick aluminum foil. However, if the beta emitting source gets inside of you, it can be dangerous. Aluminum-26 plays an important role in the formation of planets such as Earth. Its radioactive decay helps dry out the first planetesimals to produce rocky, water-poor planets. Practically all nuclear reactions also emit gamma rays, but for simplicity, gamma rays are generally not shown.
The half-life of uranium-238 is 4.5 billion years, which means that during that immense period of time half of the nuclei in a sample of uranium-238 will decay. To insert an electron into a nuclear equation and make the numbers add up correctly, you had to assign an atomic number and a mass number to an electron. The atomic number assigned to an electron is a negative one (-), because it allows a nuclear equation containing an electron to balance atomic numbers. Nuclear reactors operate for long periods, producing very high fluences of neutrons, some of which can irradiate metal components and cause possible harmful effects. In conclusion, aluminum is an effective barrier against beta radiation due to its metalloid properties and electrostatic interaction with the charged beta particle. Aluminum-26 also plays an important role in the formation of planets such as Earth by providing enough heat through radioactive decay to produce planetary bodies with stratified interiors.
Nuclear reactions release some of the binding energy and can convert small amounts of matter into energy.
