A friend and I discover this meteorite, she happens to have a Geiger counter with her. As my friend gradually approaches the meteorite the number of counts or audible ‘clicks’ from the Geiger counter rises noticeably. At a distance of around 3 meters from the meteorite, I stop my friend and tell her that we must not get any closer due to the radiation. She objects and insists that the radiation is mostly alpha radiation. I realize that she is wrong.
i) Describe why she is wrong.
ii) What are some ways to explain whether alpha particles are responsible for the audible ‘clicks’ on the Geiger counter?