ASNT Industrial Radiography Radiation Safety Practice Test

What is the speed of gamma rays traveling in a wavelike motion?

1. 300,000 miles/s

2. 186,000 miles/s

3. 299,338 km/s

4. Both 186,000 miles/s and 299,338 km/s

The correct answer is: Both 186,000 miles/s and 299,338 km/s

Gamma rays, like all electromagnetic radiation, travel at the speed of light in a vacuum. This speed is commonly accepted as approximately 299,792 kilometers per second, which translates to about 186,282 miles per second. In the context of the choices provided, both 186,000 miles per second and 299,338 kilometers per second are rounded figures that approximate the speed of light. Hence, saying that both these values represent the speed of gamma rays correctly acknowledges that they are extremely close representations of the actual speed of light, which reflects the common knowledge that gamma rays travel at light speed. Thus, the option indicating both 186,000 miles/s and 299,338 km/s as correct captures the fundamental property of gamma rays traveling in a wavelike motion at light speed, and it showcases a deep understanding of the nature of electromagnetic radiation in general.