FINAL radiation

Question 1

The phenomenon of radioactivity is concerned with changes within the _____ of atoms while chemical phenomena are due to changes and interactions among _____ ______.

Answer 1

nuclei

orbital electrons

Question 2

Usually a stable atom has a set number of neutrons and protons

=Adding ______ to chemical makeup creates an unstable nucleus which is called an ______

Answer 2

neutrons

Isotope

Question 3

Getting rid of two neutrons and two protons is called

Answer 3

Alpha particle

Question 4

2 ways to rebalance

Answer 4

remove extra neutron or remove a few electrons and neutrons changing to new element

Question 5

IR stands for

3 thingy’s

Answer 5

Ionizing Radiation comes from Radioactivity in 3 forms:

1. Alpha particles
2. Beta Particles(Electrons)
3. Photons(gamma and x-rays)

Question 6

What does IR do?

Answer 6

1. Radiation oxidizes cells- strips electrons from atoms(free radicals and ion pairs)
2. Radiation ionizes water in cells
   H2O->45% OH, 10% H, 45% e*
3. Radiation ionizes DNA, lipids, & proteins

Question 7

ionization

Answer 7

removal or addition of an electron, becoming positive or negative

Question 8

oxidization

Answer 8

stealing electron makes positive

Question 9

Alpha particles can be most damaging because

Answer 9

they interact with cells they come in contact with because it is bigger

Question 10

Sources of radioactive material(3)

Answer 10

1.NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material)
Uranium (238U) & thorium (232Th) and their decay products
Potassium-40 (40K) – 0.01% of K in a banana
Carbon-14 (14C) –created by n bombardment in the air

2. Fission Products
   Iodine-131 (131I)
   Cesium -137 (137Cs)
   Strontium-90 (90Sr)
3. Neutron Activation Products
   Lots, including plutonium (239Pu is a fissile fuel)

Question 11

Critical Isotopes

Answer 11

Thorium, Uranium

Question 12

_____ is used mostly for energy production

Answer 12

Uranium

Question 13

Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Answer 13

Thorium + Uranium

Question 14

Uranium 238

Answer 14

Radioactive Uranium from the sun in earth

Question 15

_____ Billion years for Uranium 238 to break down

Thorium 234 halflife in ___ days

Answer 15

4.5

27

Question 16

mining uranium means _____ ends up in tailings ponds

Answer 16

radium

Question 17

Radon causes ____ cancer

Answer 17

lung

Question 18

A series is going ___ the periodic table

Answer 18

up

Question 19

Worlds largest high yield uranium mine

Answer 19

McArthur River Mine

Question 20

Nuclear Reactor

Answer 20

Every reactor needs:
Fuel rods (235U or 239Pu) to begin a chain reaction
Control rods (Cd or B) to absorb neutrons
Moderator to slow neutrons down for fission
Water supply to condense steam and cool reactor core

The moderator can be
plain water
heavy water
graphite

The moderator was graphite at Chernobyl

Question 21

Moderator in Chernobyl was

Answer 21

graphite

Question 22

Moderator in Canada is

Answer 22

Heavy water

Question 23

PU is

Answer 23

Plutonium

Question 24

Chernobyl

Answer 24

April 26, 1986
Reactor fuel was 2 years old
Personnel were trying to run the reactor off “decay heat” from fission products
Power surge led to a loss of containment
Graphite moderator ignited and melted the fuel
Fallout went all over Europe with the wind

Question 25

Sarcophagus for Chernobyl cost

new one will cost

Answer 25

800 million

1.4 Billion

Question 26

Spent Nuclear Fuel

Answer 26

Fuel remains in a reactor for 1.5 years but then must be removed to prevent “excess decay heat”
The spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is stored for 10 years in water, then moved to dry storage.
To increase wet pool storage space, SNF in pools was “reracked”
Without cooling water, the SNF would catch fire

Question 27

Fukushima reactor ___ started problems

Answer 27

4

Question 28

Cleanup of Fukushima

Answer 28

Initial roadmap is a 30-40 year operation
Estimated cost of $58 billion (US)
Cannot approach 2 reactors until 2020 at the earliest
Radiation to intense for photographic assessment
Still developing new technologies – with the inevitable failures !
Handling circumstances not previously encountered or even envisioned