[NC.4]
Date Due:________________
γ
Notes – Gamma ( ) Rays & Decay
 Read about the electromagnetic spectrum, including
gamma rays on textbook p.539-545
 Take notes below
 Include a labeled, color sketch of the electromagnetic
spectrum. Make the location of gamma rays stand out in
your sketch
 Use the note-taking strategies on notebook p.12. These
notes will be graded using the criteria on notebook p.13.
Fold along this line
Glue this side of the page
into your ISN on page _____
using 6 small dots of glue.
p.1
 Read about gamma decay on textbook page 294 & 296
 After reading the text, carefully read and complete the
notes below
The gamma decay reaction can be shown as an equation:
define Gamma Ray:
You can tell that the protactinium parent nucleus is excited
because of the asterisk (*) after it.
A gamma ray has ________ mass and _______ charge.
234
91
Pa * 
Pa  γ
234
91
Here’s an example of a gamma decay:
Gamma rays are ____________ waves that travel through
space at the speed of ______________ (which is about
186,000 miles per second!)
Gamma decay is a type of nuclear decay that releases a
gamma ray.
Gamma rays from radioactive gamma decay are produced
alongside other forms of radiation such as alpha or beta,
and are produced after the other types of decay occur.
The mechanism is that when a nucleus emits an α or β
particle, the daughter nucleus is usually left in an excited
(or unstable) state.
It can then move to a lower energy state by emitting a
gamma ray, in much the same way that an atomic electron
can jump to a lower energy state by emitting a photon. Both
photons and gamma rays are energy waves – gamma rays
are just high energy photons.
Emission of a gamma ray from an excited nuclear state
typically happens very fast and usually only requires about
10-12 seconds.
p.2
 Make one AHA connection on notebook p.nnn-nnn
p.3