Dangers of EM waves Flashcards
how can ionising radiation cause cancer?
-radiations with a high enough energy (ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma rays) can break molecules of substances into ions by removing electrons from the atoms inside
-ions can trigger other chemical reactions
-chemical reactions in the skin caused by ionised atoms may alter DNA molecules and mutate or kill skin cells
-mutated cells may then multiply and develop into a tumor
-this is skin cancer
describe ultraviolet rays
-ultraviolet rays can cause skin to age prematurely, and can increase the risk of skin cancer
-we can protect our skin from ultraviolet waves by wearing sun glasses, sun creams and limiting our exposure to the sun
describe gamma rays and x-rays
-gamma rays and x-rays are the most dangerous type of radiation to us because they have the highest energies and the highest frequencies
-gamma, x-ray and ultraviolet can all cause our cells to mutate which can lead to cancer
what are the dangers of radiowaves?
larger doses may cause cancer- but that is very unlikely
how can you prevent the dangers of radiowaves?
-reduce amount of time on phone
-avoid making calls when signal is weak
what are the uses of radiowaves?
-television
-radio
-phones
what are the dangers of microwaves?
causes heating of body tissues
how can you prevent the dangers of microwaves?
-keep away from cell phone towers
-use microwave protection
what are the uses of microwaves?
-cooking food
-communications
-satelites
what are the dangers of infrared?
can cause burns
how can you prevent the dangers of infrared?
special shield or goggles
what are the uses of infrared?
-electrical heaters
-thermal imaging cameras
what are the dangers of visible rays?
over exposure can cause damage to eyes
what are the ways of preventing the dangers of visible rays?
-suncream
-sunglasses
what are the uses of visible rays?
-photography
-illumination
