= Radiation
<Radiation> transports <energy> away from a source through propagating fields or emitted <particles>. <Electromagnetic radiation> includes <radio waves>, visible <light>, <X-rays> and <gamma rays>; <alpha particles>, <beta particles> and <neutrons> provide particle-radiation examples. The word alone does not specify an <energy>, a hazard, or a detection method.
An experiment must distinguish the incident field from its interaction with the detector. A <photodetector> measures a light-induced response, while an <ionization chamber> collects charge created in a gas. Neither instrument responds equally to every kind of <radiation>. <Ionizing radiation> is classified by its ability to remove bound <electrons> under the relevant interaction conditions, rather than simply by whether the source is radioactive.
Back to article page
