What type of radiation is a beta particle?

Beta particles are classified as particle radiation. This is because they consist of charged particles, specifically electrons or positrons, emitted from the nucleus of an atom during radioactive decay. Unlike electromagnetic radiation, which includes forms such as gamma rays and X-rays that consist of waves of energy and have no mass or charge, beta particles have mass and carry a negative (in the case of electrons) or positive (in the case of positrons) charge.

This distinction is important in nuclear physics, as particle radiation involves the emission of actual particles from atoms. Alpha radiation, for instance, consists of helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons) and is also a type of particle radiation but is distinct from beta radiation. Gamma radiation, on the other hand, is purely electromagnetic and does not consist of particles. Therefore, the classification of beta particles as particle radiation accurately reflects their nature and behavior in radioactive processes.