Following the discovery of radioactivity, E. Rutherford classified radioactive emissions into different types based on their interaction with matter and ionization properties. Among them, beta radiation is characterized by higher penetration capability and lower specific ionization compared with alpha radiation.

Beta particles are electrons (β⁻) or positrons (β⁺) emitted during the decay of unstable atomic nuclei. Unlike alpha and gamma decays, beta decay is a three-body process involving the emitted particle, the recoiling nucleus, and a neutrino or antineutrino. As a consequence, beta particles are emitted with a continuous energy spectrum, a feature that provides important information about the underlying nuclear decay mechanism.

The experiments presented in this section introduce students to the principles of beta spectroscopy, allowing them to measure and analyze beta energy distributions and understand the fundamental concepts of nuclear decay and radiation detection.

The beta spectroscopy experiments can be performed using the Educational Beta Kit or, alternatively, the Premium Kit.