What is ionizing radiation?

Question

Nuclear radiation energy is much larger than visible light energies.
So instead of just being absorbed and increasing an objects temperature, nuclear radiation ionizes matter and breaks molecular bonds.

Explanation was because:
"These energies are much larger than ionization energies of atoms and molecules".
"The ionization energies of an atom is about 10 eV, while alpha or beta particles are around 1 MeV".

How does an atom's ionization energy and ionizing radiation fight? Atom ionization energy is energy needed to rid of an electron.
Nuclear radiation just damages everything.
I don't see how they connect?

Woodsman · Accepted Answer

"The ionization energies of an atom is about 10 eV, while alpha or beta particles are around 1 MeV".

OK, so there is some threshold for ionization (around 10eV). If radiation energies exceed that threshold, then ionization occurs. For radiation energies below that level, no ionization.

Think of the maximum static friction force for, say, a couch. Let's say the maximum value is 100 N for a given couch on a given floor.

You push horizontally with a force of 10 N. The actual friction force is 10 N. The couch doesn't move. Same deal at 20 N, 50 N, 80 N, 99 N. But at 101 N, the couch "breaks free" of the floor and starts to accelerate (since 101 N exceeds the threshold value 100 N).

By analogy, you might say the couch has been "ionized."

Just kidding. But hopefully the analogy helps regarding this "threshold."

What is ionizing radiation?

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