Background Radiation

Question 1

What percentage of background radiation is caused by cosmic radiation?

Answer 1

10%

Question 2

What percentage of background radiation is caused by man-made radiation?

Answer 2

13%

Question 3

What percentage of background radiation is caused by biological material (biomass)?

Answer 3

13%

Question 4

What percentage of background radiation is caused by the ground?

Answer 4

14%

Question 5

What percentage of background radiation is caused by radon gas?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

Where is cosmic radiation from?

Answer 6

Fusion process in all stars

Question 7

What is man-made radiation?

Answer 7

Nuclear weapons/testing, medical/ industrial uses

Question 8

What is biological material?

Answer 8

All living matter

Question 9

What is radiation from the ground caused by?

Answer 9

Radiative material in rocks and magma

Question 10

Where is radon gas from?

Answer 10

Rocks, especially granite

Question 11

List the man-made causes of background radiation

Answer 11

• medical/ industrial uses
• nuclear weapons/ testing
• nuclear power stations

Question 12

What are the natural causes of background radiation?

Answer 12

• cosmic radiation
• radon gas
• rocks/the ground
• food + living things

Question 13

Why is the number of cosmic rays passing through the body different for each person?

Answer 13

People nearer the poles of the Earth get more because the charged particles from space are deflected that way due to the magnetic field of the Earth

Question 14

In the UK, where are background radiation levels the highest?

Answer 14

• Yorkshire
• Aberdeen
• Devon
• Cornwall

Question 15

Why is radon gas in houses more of a problem now than it was 100 years ago?

Answer 15

Because the levels of radon gas have increased due to weather events, like storms