Gamma rays were discovered by Rutherford. They are emitted from the nuclei of some radioactive elements and are electromagnetic waves of very short wavelength. Gamma rays can be detected with Geiger Counter
Some of the properties of Gamma Rays are written below:
- They are electromagnetic waves and have velocity equal to that of light
- They are highly penetrating. They can penetrate through several centimeters thick iron and lead blocks
- They have a small ionizing power.
- They can produce fluorescence in a substance like Willemite
- They can affect a photographic plate
- They are not deflected by electric and magnetic fields
- They knock out electrons from the surface on which they fall
- They produce heating effect in the surface exposed to them
Applications of Gamma-rays are as follows:
- They are used in radiotherapy. In hospitals, gamma rays are used to treat cancer and tumors
- In food industry, soft gamma rays are used to kill microorganisms. It helps to preserve the food stuffs for a prolonged time
- Gamma rays are used to produce nuclear reactions