Which statement regarding ionizing radiation is true?

• A. It always causes immediate symptoms.
• B. It can cause health effects that appear later.
• C. It cannot penetrate clothing.
• D. It is identical to non-ionizing radiation.

Answer: (B)

Ionizing radiation has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms, which can damage DNA and cellular components. A key point is that health effects from exposure can show up long after the event, with cancers and other late effects potentially appearing years later—the risk tends to accumulate with dose even at low levels. So the statement that health effects can appear later is the true one. It isn’t correct to claim there are always immediate symptoms, since many exposures are initially asymptomatic. It’s also false to say it cannot penetrate clothing; many forms of ionizing radiation, like X-rays and gamma rays, can pass through clothing (though shielding can reduce the dose). Finally, it’s not identical to non-ionizing radiation—ionizing radiation has enough energy to ionize atoms, which non-ionizing radiation does not.