beta particle
noun
: a high-speed electron
specifically
: one emitted by a radioactive nucleus in beta decay
Examples of beta particle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The beta particles emitted from carbon-14 are already present in nearly everything, including naturally in the human body.
—
Joe Salas, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2025
The magic in this battery is the material carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that emits beta particles.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2025
The primary emission consists of beta particles, high-energy electrons capable of penetrating tumors and surrounding cells, tearing into DNA and causing damage that ultimately triggers cell death.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
Compared to beta particles, alpha particles are larger and more energetic.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
This stands in stark contrast to beta particles, which can traverse millimeters of tissue before their energy is depleted.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
The most common forms occur when an unstable nucleus spits out an alpha particle, consisting of two neutrons and two protons, a beta particle consisting of an energetic positron or electron, or a gamma ray, consisting of a high energy photon.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Alpha particles are just the nuclei of helium atoms, beta particles are electrons, and gamma rays are a type of very high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024
Instead, radioactive elements can emit gamma rays, alongside alpha and beta particles.
—WIRED, 23 Sep. 2023
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Joe Salas, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2025
The magic in this battery is the material carbon-14, a radioactive isotope that emits beta particles.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2025
The primary emission consists of beta particles, high-energy electrons capable of penetrating tumors and surrounding cells, tearing into DNA and causing damage that ultimately triggers cell death.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
Compared to beta particles, alpha particles are larger and more energetic.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
This stands in stark contrast to beta particles, which can traverse millimeters of tissue before their energy is depleted.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
The most common forms occur when an unstable nucleus spits out an alpha particle, consisting of two neutrons and two protons, a beta particle consisting of an energetic positron or electron, or a gamma ray, consisting of a high energy photon.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024
Alpha particles are just the nuclei of helium atoms, beta particles are electrons, and gamma rays are a type of very high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024
Instead, radioactive elements can emit gamma rays, alongside alpha and beta particles.
—WIRED, 23 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Beta particle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beta%20particle. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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