9.2 Background Radiation Flashcards
What is an ion ?
Atom that has gained or lost electrons making it electrically charged
What is an isotope
Form of an element with the same atomic number but a different mass number
What is the mass number?
The amount of nucleons
What is the atomic number?
Number of protons and hence electrons
What is background radiation?
Radiation that is constantly present in our environment
What are the main natural sources of background radiation?
- radioactive gases emitted from the ground, mainly radon , often trapped in buildings and can reach high danger levels - can increase lung cancer chances
- radioactive elements in earth’s crust, give rise to gamma radiation
- cosmic background radiation, particles from space collide with particles in atmosphere producing nuclear radiation
- naturally occurring radioactive isotopes on our food and drink
Example of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in food and drink?
Carbon 14
Potassium 40
What is radiation ?
Emission or transmission of energy in form of waves or particles
What is the element that is a radioactive gas in our air ?
Radon
What can high levels of radon cause ?
Lung cancer
Another name for nuclear radiation ?
Ionizing radiation
What is nuclear/ionizing radiation ?
Radiation carrying sufficient energy to ionize (detach electrons from elements) materials
What percentage of radiation do natural sources make up?
85%
What percentage do artificial sources make up of all radiation ?
15%
Examples of artificial/man made radiation ?
Medical- x Rays
Industrial -nuclear power stations
What is an radioactive isotope?
Element with excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. It will decay
What is instability of nuclei caused by?
Too many neutrons
Too little neutrons
Too many nucleons (too much mass)
Too much energy in nucleus
What happens to radioactive isotopes?
They decay to become more stable. This releases energy and/or particles.
Radioactive decay is often what?
Random and cant be predicted
What is radioactive decay.
The act of breaking down, releasing energy and/or particles in order to become stable
