Ionising Radiation Flashcards
1
Q
What is ionising radiation?
A
A particle (wave) that has sufficient energy to ionise atoms
2
Q
How is ionising radiation produced?
A
1: Acceleration of charge particles
2: Radioactive decay
3
Q
How do you find the probability of decay at some time interval ‘dt’?
A
-dN/dt = λN
where N is the number of unstable nuclei present at time t
and λ is the decay constant (s^-1)
4
Q
What is ‘activity’?
A
The rate at which a radioactive sample decays
A = λN
SI unit: Bequerel (Bq) - 1 decay per second
5
Q
What is ‘half-life’?
A
The time in which half of a radioactive nuclei decays
