What is radioactivity?
Learn what radiation is and what various forms it comes in. Includes natural and man-made sources of radiation, and contains information about comparing dose rates.
Radioactive atoms contain energy that pours out spontaneously as energetic subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves. The emissions are called radiation. Radioactive material exists naturally in the Earth (this is partially why the inside of the Earth is warm) and is produced continuously in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. Humans make radioactive material by causing nuclear reactions in nuclear reactors and particle accelerators. Like tiny bullets, the radiation from radioactive materials can cause damage to biological cells by breaking fragile biological structures such as DNA. Radiation…
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