Final answer:
Alpha particles and beta particles behave differently due to their different properties. Alpha particles are larger and more massive with a greater charge, causing them to interact more strongly and bend less. Beta particles are smaller and less massive with a smaller charge, allowing them to penetrate materials more easily and bend more.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alpha particles and beta particles are both types of radioactive decay, but they behave differently due to their different properties.
Alpha particles are larger and more massive than beta particles, and they have a greater charge. This combination of size and charge causes alpha particles to interact more strongly with the surrounding atoms and molecules in a material, such as air or lead. As a result, the path of alpha particles bends less compared to beta particles.
Beta particles, on the other hand, are smaller and less massive, and they have a smaller charge. Because of their smaller size and charge, beta particles can penetrate materials more easily and interact less strongly with the atoms and molecules in a material. This causes the path of beta particles to bend more compared to alpha particles.