[system]

When atoms become radioactive, what kind of radiation comes out? gamma rays? x-rays? light?
Asked by Teo Gibson, Facebook

                                       
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[syhprum]

Radio active substances Emit electrons or positrons (beta rays), Helium nuclei (alpha particles) neutrinos and anti-neutrinos and energetic electromagnetic radiation (Gamma rays).
This is from memory and the list may not be exhaustive

[Phractality]

An individual atomic nucleus is either stable or unstable. Certain combinations of protons and neutrons are stable; all others are unstable.

An unstable nucleus has a certain half-life, which means it has 50% chance of changing to a different kind of nucleus within a certain period of time. When it changes, it may emit a proton, a neutron and/or a gamma-ray photon−−depending on what it was and what it becomes.

A radioactive substance is any substance that contains unstable atomic nuclei. Some non-radioactive substances can be made radioactive by bombarding them with protons, neutrons or gamma rays, thus converting some of the stable nuclei to unstable nuclei.