Atomic Structure 🤗

Question 1

How many stable forms of isotopes do elements have

Answer 1

1 or 2

Question 2

What do unstable isotopes do and what procces is it called

Answer 2

Tend to decay into other elements and give out radiation as they try to become more stable radioactive decay

Question 3

What do radioactive substances give out

Answer 3

One or more types of ionising radiation from nucleas and somtimes neutrons

Question 4

What is ionising radiation and what is ionising power

Answer 4

Radiation that knocks electrons electrons off atoms creating positive ions
The ionising power of radiation is how easy it can do this

Question 5

Properties of alpha particles

Answer 5

Are helium nuclei
Absorbed by sheet of paper
Due to size very ionising

Question 6

Where are alpha particles used

Answer 6

Smoke detectors -ionises air particles causing current to flow ,if smoke is in air it binds to the ions meaning the current stops causing an alarm to sound

Question 7

Properties of beta particles

Answer 7

Are high speed electrons
Moderately ionising
Absorbed by aluminium
For every beta particle emitted a neutron in the nucleus has turned into a proton

Question 8

What are beta particles used in

Answer 8

To test the thickness of metal
Slight variations in thickness affect the amount of radiation passing through the sheet

Question 9

Gamma rays properties

Answer 9

Realeased by nucleus
Penetrate far into materials
Weakly ionising bc they tend to pas through rather than collide with atoms
Can be absorbed with thick sheet of lead or concrete

Question 10

How do you show the nuclear equation

Answer 10

Atom before decay->atom after decay+radiation emitted

Question 11

How does alpha decay decrease the charge and mass of nucleus

Answer 11

When atom emitted alpha particle it’s atomic number reduces by 2 and mad number by 4

Question 12

How does beta decay increase the charge of nucleus

Answer 12

Due to nucleus lost a neutron and gained a proton during beta decay
Mass number does not change

Question 13

Why do gamma rays not change the charge or mass of the nucleas

Answer 13

Due to them being a way to get rid of excess energy from nucleas

Question 14

What gives out radiation

Answer 14

Radioactive substances give it out no matter what

Question 15

How can radiation be measured and what is a count rate

Answer 15

Geiger miller tube and counter which records the count rate
Count rate being the number of radiation counts reading it per second

Question 16

Radioactive decay is entirely what ?

Answer 16

Random you can predict which nucleas In a sample will
decay next or when

Question 17

What is a half life

Answer 17

The amount of time it takes for the radioactivity emitted by a source to halve it can be used to make predictions

Question 18

What is rate decay in source measured in

Answer 18

Bq -1 decay per second

Question 19

What are the risk to using radiations

Answer 19

Can enter living cells and ionise atoms within them
Can damage cells and cause cancer

Question 20

What is exposure to radiation called and what happens

Answer 20

Irradiation
This does not make it radioactive
Keeping sources in lead lined boxes is a way of reducing irradiation

Question 21

What is contamination and what’s the problems of it

Answer 21

Radioactive particles getting into objects
The contaminating atoms might then decay and could cause you harm
Gloves and tongs should always be used when handling sources

Question 22

What happens when irritation by gamma beta and alpha radiations

Answer 22

Beta and grammar penetrate body and get to delicate organs
Alpha is less dangerous due to it not penetrating skin
High levels of irradiation from all sources are dangerous

Question 23

How do the different rations effect contamination

Answer 23

Inside body alpha is most dangerous due to all damage being very localised
Beta is less damaging inside body as it’s absorbed over a wider areas
Gamma is the least dangerous due them mostly massing stright through