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In the 1890s many scientists became caught up in the study of cathide rays and other kinds of rays.  Some of these rays were associated with the newly discovered phenomenon called **radioactivity**, which is the the *spontaneous mission of particles and/or radiation.*

**Radiation is the term used to describe the emission and transmission of energy through space in the form of waves.**
A radioactive substance decays, or breaks down, spontaneously.  By the early twentieth century scientists had discovered several types of radioactive  rays. Information  gained by studying these rays and their effects on other materials contributed greatly to the growing understanding of the structure of the atom.



In 1895 Wilhelm Rontgen noticed that when cathode rays struck glass and metals,  bew and very unusual rays were emitted. These rays were highly energetic and could penetrate matter. They also darkened covered photographic plates and could produce flourescense in various substances. Since these rays could not ve deflected by a magnet, they  did not consist of charged particles as did the cathode rays.


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**Rontgen called them X-rays. They were later identified as a type of gigh energy radiation.**


Not long after Rontgen's discovery,  Antione Becquerel studied flourescent properties of substances. Purely by accident, he noticed that a certain compound containing uranium was ableto darken photographic plates that were wrapped in thick papers or even in thin metal sheets,  without the stimulation of cathode rays. The nature of the radiation that was doing this was not known,  although it seemed to resemble X rays in being highly energetic and not consisting of charged particles. One of Becquerel's students,  Marie Curie,  suggested the name **radioactivity** for this phenomenon. *Any element,  such as uranium,  that exhibits radioactivity  is said to be radioactive*.


Further investigation showed that three types of rays can be emitted by radioactive elements. It was found that two of the three tyoes of rays could be deflected when they passed between two oppositely charged metal plates.


Depending on the deflection,  these two rays are called alpha (α) rays and beta (β) rays. The third type of ray which is unaffected  by charged plates, is called a gamma (y) rays. α- rays or α particles were found to be particles with a posituve charge of +2. They are therefore attracted by the negatively charged plate.  The opoosite holds true for β rays or β particles - they consist of *negatively charged electrons*, which are drawn to the positively charged plate. Because y-rays do not consist of charged particles, their movement is unaffected by an external electric field. **They are high energy radiation**

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