Which of the following best explains why α radiation is far less penetrating than β radiation of comparable kinetic energy?
a) The α particle has nearly zero mass and therefore transfers little momentum to matter, so it quickly stops after only a short distance.
b) The β particle is electrically neutral and thus interacts very weakly with atoms, allowing it to penetrate further than α radiation.
c) The α particle has much greater mass and carries twice the electric charge, causing frequent, highly ionizing collisions that rapidly slow it down.
d) Because β particles move essentially at the speed of light, they spend too little time near any atom to interact significantly, so they pass farther through a barrier than α particles.