Which type of electromagnetic wave is emitted from atomic nuclear decay?

Which type of electromagnetic wave is emitted from atomic nuclear decay?

• A. Radio waves
• B. Gamma rays
• C. Infrared
• D. Visible light

Answer: (B)

When a nucleus decays, it often ends up in an excited state and must shed that extra energy. The way it does this is by emitting a photon with very high energy, which is a gamma ray. Gamma rays have the shortest wavelengths and the highest energies among common electromagnetic waves, and they come specifically from changes inside the nucleus rather than from electrons or thermal processes. Other options—radio waves, infrared, and visible light—are produced by electronic transitions or by heat, not by nuclear transitions. So the emission from atomic nuclear decay is gamma radiation.

When a nucleus decays, it often ends up in an excited state and must shed that extra energy. The way it does this is by emitting a photon with very high energy, which is a gamma ray. Gamma rays have the shortest wavelengths and the highest energies among common electromagnetic waves, and they come specifically from changes inside the nucleus rather than from electrons or thermal processes. Other options—radio waves, infrared, and visible light—are produced by electronic transitions or by heat, not by nuclear transitions. So the emission from atomic nuclear decay is gamma radiation.