Answer to Question #80916 in General Chemistry for mariah england

Question

gamma radiation is similar but much more energetic than x-ray. would you expect the wavelength of gamma radiation to be shorter or longer than x-ray?

Answer 1

Gamma rays have shorter wavelength than X-rays. Some times X rays might have shorter wavelength than that of gamma rays. The main reason is that we assign name to the electromagnetic radiations just based on the method of production.

Gamma and x-rays are two types of rays on the electro magnetic spectrum. The amount of energy used by the rays increases as you go up the electro magnetic spectrum. The weakest of the rays is a radio wave and the strongest is the gamma which will penetrate lead.

X-rays are produced by stopping the fast moving electrons. But gamma rays come out the nuclear reaction.

A gamma ray is an extremely high energy photon or "ray" of electromagnetic radiation. Gamma rays appear at the extreme upper end of the electromagnetic spectrum, up above X-rays with a bit of overlap. Their wavelengths are on the order of 10 -11 meters (10 picometers. They have energies of 100 keV and up, and are created by actions or reactions involving atomic nuclei. Gamma rays are a form of ionizing radiation, and they have very good penetrating power. They appear as a result of changes in atomic nuclei, and will cause some biological damage to living tissue.

Gamma ray bursts have the shortest wavelengths of any radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore, x-rays have the longer wavelength. Cathode rays generate x-rays and gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation.