Combined Topic 6 - Radiation Flashcards
What’s atomic number
The same number of protons and electrons in the nucleus of an atom
What’s mass number
The total amount of protons and neutrons in the nucleas of an atom
What is an isotope
Atoms of an element with the same number of atomic number but with a different mass number because of different amounts of neutrons
What changes in isotope elements?
Only the neutrons change but the electrons and protons stay
What is the plum pudding model?
It was the 1st model of an atom, it’s got a positive charge spread big and a small negative charges around of electrons. The electrons are modelled as Spheres
What’s the atomic structure
Nucleus = The centre of an atom
Proton = Positive charge of an atom in the nucleus
Neutrons = Neutral charge of an atom found in the nucleus
Electron = Negative charge of an atom’s outer shell
Why is the mass of a nucleus two?
Because the nuetron and proton is 1
What’s a molecule, element and atom?
An atom is the smallest particle of an element
An element is made out of a specific atom
A molecule is made out of many elements (compound)
Biggest to smallest (Molecule, element, atom, nucleus, protons and electrons)
- Molecule 2. Element 3. Atom 4. Nucleus 5. Protons 6. Electrons
What’s background radiation?
It’s a low level ionising radiation that is around us all the time from a number of sources
Where can radiation come from?
It can be from natural resources like cosmic rays to earth, rocks and soil (radon gas), plants. Even from artificial sources like nuclear explosions
What are the other sources of natural background radiation and what is the biggest source?
Food, medical ground and buildings but radon gas from rocks is the biggest
What is Ionisation?
When an atom absorbs enough energy to let an electron escape
How can at atom gain energy?
By heating it and electromagnetic radiation
What is the Bohr atom model?
He discovered shells of an atom which can move with heat and electromagnetic radiation
What is background radiation and beta, gamma and alpha rays measured with
Measured in becquerels or counts per minute
What’s a substance that contionusly emits radiation under any condition called?
It’s then considered radioactive ☢️
What are the three types of radiation
Beta, gamma and alpha
What types of radiation can cause an atom/element become a different element?
All the 3 forms of radiation, gamma beta and alpha
How does radon gas appear?
It comes from rocks such igneous rocks and granite which contain uranium and when it decays it releases radon gas
What can the 3 forms of radiation penetrate through?
Alpha = Can’t penetrate paper
Beta = can’t penetrate few mm of aluminium
Gamma = can’t penetrate threw mm of lead
How does Ionisation work on a neutral atom with radiation?
When radiation collides a neutral atom it alters the structure by knocking electrons. This will leave behind ions
What can ionising radiation do?
It can remove/knock out electrons off an atom
What’s the penetrating and ionising strength of the 3 forms of radiation
Alpha = low penetration and high ionising
Beta = medium penetration and medium ionising
Gamma = High penetrate and low ionising
What’s the structure and charge of the 3 forms of radioactivity
Alpha = the structure is the element of helium and has a charge of 0
Beta = has the structure of an electron and it’s charge is negative
Alpha = The structure is an electromagnetic wave which has no charge
What is meant by ionising radiation
Radiation with sufficient energy to ionise atoms by removing electrons
What safety procedures should you take when it comes to dealing with contamination of radioactivity?
Wear protective clothing, goggles and a mask. Handle with tongs and within a short-time span and keep away from people
What is iriadiation and contamination?
Iriadiation is when radiation passed through your body and it decays within time (X-rays)
Contamination is when it takes long or doesn’t decay and it’s left in the environment (clothes, object, hair)
What’s half life?
The time it takes for radioactive particles to decay which halved in time and it’s a random process
What’s alpha decay and it’s formula?
It’s a specific formula to represent nuclear reactions
²⁴¹AM - ²⁴¹-⁴ AM - ²³⁷Np + ⁴ (HELIUM)
⁹⁵ ⁹⁵-². ⁹³. ²
It’s element has changed because of the atomic number and it’s leftover is Helium (alpha structure)
How do isotopes become stable?
By releasing different types of atoms/particles
What are the elements called that go under radioactive decay?
They’re called radioisotopes
What’s the beta decay and it’s formula?
It’s when a neutron changes into a proton or an electron
²¹⁸PO - ²¹⁸Po - ²¹⁸At + ⁰B
⁸⁴. ⁸⁴+¹. ⁸⁴+¹. -¹
We increase the atomic number by 1 and leave the mass number and we’re left with a beta ray
Why do neutrons change into a proton or electron?
It’s because it’s trying to become balanced so it transfers
What is the purpose of the beta decay?
We use it when an atoms neutron converts into something else and it’s unstable so we use it to stable it
Geiger Muller tube core practical
First the teacher has to go through safety procedures such as gloves, goggles and a suit. Then we check the count-rate of the background radiation, we use one of the radioactive rocks and put it near the tube counting the amount of time and measuring the distance, once that’s done you do the exact same to the other radioactive rock and you subtract the background radiation from both and estimate your results at the end
