beta particlenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈbiː.tə ˌpɑː.tɪ.kəl/us/ˈbeɪ.t̬ə ˌpɑːr.t̬ə.kəl/specializedan extremely small piece of matter with a positive or negative electric charge, produced when a radioactive atom is broken down
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Physics: atoms, molecules & sub-atomic particles
- acceptor
- antilepton
- antimatter
- antineutrino
- antiparticle
- cation
- disaccharide
- elementary particle
- intramolecular
- ion
- ionize
- lepton
- Lewis structure
- macromolecule
- neutron
- quark
- relative molecular mass
- strong force
- subatomic particle
- subunit
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Physics: radiation & radioactivity
Examples from literature
- That was the dangerous kind, because both beta particles and gamma rays could penetrate clothing and skin.
- The beta particles emanating from radium were soon identified with the electrons of the cathode ray.
- They are much larger than beta particles, and have less penetrative power.