Background radiation

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Background radiation

Background radiation (pronunciation: /ˈbakˌɡround ˌrādēˈāSH(ə)n/) is the ubiquitous ionizing radiation that people on the planet Earth are exposed to, including natural and artificial radiation.

Etymology

The term "background radiation" is derived from the English words "background" and "radiation". "Background" comes from the Old English baecgrund, meaning "the ground behind", while "radiation" comes from the Latin radiatio, meaning "a shining, radiation", from radiare which means "to shine, radiate".

Definition

Background radiation refers to the ionizing radiation present in the environment that originates from a variety of natural and artificial sources. Natural background radiation comes from cosmic rays, radon gas, and terrestrial sources. Artificial background radiation is due to human activities, such as nuclear power generation, medical procedures, and industrial applications.

Related Terms

  • Ionizing radiation: Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy so that during an interaction with an atom, it can remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized.
  • Cosmic rays: Cosmic rays are high-energy protons and atomic nuclei which move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the sun, from outside of the solar system, and from distant galaxies.
  • Radon: Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas.
  • Nuclear power: Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity.
  • Medical radiation: Medical radiation refers to a variety of methods that use radiation to diagnose and treat diseases.

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