If you eat too much, you will start to throw up the extra food until you are back in a normal state. Atoms in nature are the same way. They usually have an equal number of protons and neutrons. If they have too many neutrons they will start to expel the extras until they are in a stable state. Usually this is just how some atoms are found in nature. It can be harmful if it’s ionizing radiation since it can start to screw with your DNA.
Some atoms–mostly very heavy ones–are unstable. Sometimes, randomly, they will break into two pieces, which is called radioactive decay. Most of the atom stays behind, but a particle gets flung off at very high speeds. The particle might be a proton (a beta particle) or two protons and two neutrons bound together (an alpha particle). High energy photons (gamma rays) can also be emitted.
These particles are essentially very tiny bullets traveling at enormous speed, and they can hurt you. This can cause burns and other tissue damage, but more insidiously it can even damage the molecules of your DNA, which can cause cancer.
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If you eat too much, you will start to throw up the extra food until you are back in a normal state. Atoms in nature are the same way. They usually have an equal number of protons and neutrons. If they have too many neutrons they will start to expel the extras until they are in a stable state. Usually this is just how some atoms are found in nature. It can be harmful if it’s ionizing radiation since it can start to screw with your DNA.
Some atoms–mostly very heavy ones–are unstable. Sometimes, randomly, they will break into two pieces, which is called radioactive decay. Most of the atom stays behind, but a particle gets flung off at very high speeds. The particle might be a proton (a beta particle) or two protons and two neutrons bound together (an alpha particle). High energy photons (gamma rays) can also be emitted.
These particles are essentially very tiny bullets traveling at enormous speed, and they can hurt you. This can cause burns and other tissue damage, but more insidiously it can even damage the molecules of your DNA, which can cause cancer.