Concept:Artificial radioactivity is induced by striking a stable nucleus with a high-energy particle, forcing it to absorb the particle and become an unstable isotope.
Solution:- Protons, electrons, and alpha particles all carry electrical charge. If fired at an atom, they are powerfully repelled by the target's electron cloud or the positive nucleus due to electrostatic forces.
- A Neutron carries no electrical charge. It faces zero Coulombic repulsion and can effortlessly penetrate deep into the target nucleus, even at very low speeds.
- Once absorbed, it alters the neutron-to-proton ratio, transforming the stable atom into a radioactive isotope.
Why other options are incorrect:Charged particles (electrons, positrons) are heavily deflected. Photons lack rest mass and cannot alter the nucleon count to create new isotopes.
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