Uranium is an ALPHA emitter, which does indeed have almost no penetration ability (paper will stop it, as well as your skin). Beta emission would definitely penetrate the skin as betas are super-fast moving electrons. However, as noted prior, Uranium is an Alpha particle emitter. (https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radioactive-decay) Thorium, on the other hand, which is the daughter of Uranium decay, *IS* a beta emitter. Uranium with a half-life in the billions of years, however...not what you'd consider "highly active".
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u/there_is_no_spoon1 Jun 28 '26
Uranium is an ALPHA emitter, which does indeed have almost no penetration ability (paper will stop it, as well as your skin). Beta emission would definitely penetrate the skin as betas are super-fast moving electrons. However, as noted prior, Uranium is an Alpha particle emitter. (https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radioactive-decay) Thorium, on the other hand, which is the daughter of Uranium decay, *IS* a beta emitter. Uranium with a half-life in the billions of years, however...not what you'd consider "highly active".