Explain why a smoke alarm works by emitting and detecting alpha radiation instead of gamma or beta radiation.

Alpha radiation isn't very penetrating and so is absorbed and stopped by smoke particles. This causes a change in count rate when there is smoke present. This change in count rate allows the alarm to be triggered.Beta and gamma radiation aren't stopped by smoke particles and so there would be no change of count rate when smoke is present.

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Answered by Fin M. Physics tutor

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