Words / B2

rayd-ee-AYSHUN/ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn/

Radiation is energy travelling as waves or particles: ionising radiation; heat radiation. Radioactivity is the decay process; radioactive describes the material. The paper asks where radiation is absorbed. Uncountable in physics. Mix-up: radical is extreme (already elsewhere). Do not call visible light “not radiation”.

Meaning

Energy that travels as waves or particles, such as heat, light, or X-rays.

Examples

• “The physics paper asks where radiation is absorbed in the atmosphere.”
• “Hospital radiation badges were logged, which is the safety sense.”

Good to know

ionising / solar / heat radiation; radiation dose. Close: radioactivity. Trap: radical. Physics and medicine. Energy on the move, not a political view.

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