22.08.2015   Nuclear and Radiochemistry

Types of Electromagnetic Radiation

Gamma radiation belongs to the family of electromagnetic waves. We utilize elec­tromagnetic waves of different energies (i. e., frequencies) every day, as shown in Figure 12.2.

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The quantum of any kind of electromagnetic radiation is called a “photon.” Photons have both wave and particle properties (“wave—particle duality”). Photons

Figure 12.2 The electromagnetic spectrum and interactions with body tissue.

show wave-like phenomena, such as refraction by a lens, and destructive interfer­ence when reflected waves cancel each other out. On the other hand, it is regarded as a particle with zero rest mass and charge, unit spin, and energy equal to the product of the frequency of the radiation and the Planck constant.