Ionising Radiation

Question 1

What are the properties of alpha particles?

Answer 1

Relatively big and heavy and slow moving

Question 2

Because of the properties of alpha particles what does this mean in regards to how they move?

Answer 2

Because they are big heavy and slow moving they don’t penetrate very far into materials and are stopped quickly even when travelling through air.

Question 3

Due to their big size what does this mean?

Answer 3

Because of their size they are strongly ionising which means they bash into a lot of atoms and knock electrons of them before they slow down which creates a lot of ions

Question 4

What are beta particles?

Answer 4

Beta particles are electrons

Question 5

What are the properties of beta particles?

Answer 5

Beta particles are in between alpha and gamma in terms of their properties.
They move quite fast and are quite small

Question 6

Because of beta particles properties what does this mean in terms of how they move?

Answer 6

They penetrate moderately into materials before colliding.
They have a long range in air
They are moderately ionising

Question 7

For every beta particle emitted, A neutron turns to a ______ in the nucleus?

Answer 7

For every Beta particles emitted, a neutron turns to a proton in the nucleus.

Question 8

What are gamma rays?

Answer 8

Gamma rays are very short wavelength EM waves

Question 9

How do the properties of gamma rays help them in terms of movement?

Answer 9

They penetrate far into materials without being stopped and passed straight through

Question 10

What are the properties of gamma rays?

Answer 10

Gamma rays have no mass and no charge.

They are opposite to alpha particles

Question 11

Because of gamma rays properties what does this mean in terms of ionising?

Answer 11

This means they are weakly ionising because they tend to pass through rather than collide with atoms

Question 12

What are alpha and beta particles deflected by?

Answer 12

Alpha and Beta are deflected by electric and magnetic fields

Question 13

What charge do alpha and beta particles have?

Answer 13

Alpha particles have a positive charge

Beta particles have a negative charge

Question 14

When travelling through a magnetic or electric field what will both alpha and beta particles do?

Answer 14

They will deflect

Question 15

When alpha and beta particles travel through magnetic or electric field how will they deflect?

Answer 15

There deflected in opposite directions because of their opposite charge

Question 16

How are alpha particles deflected in a magnetic and electric field in comparison to Beta particles? Why do they deflect like this ?

Answer 16

Alpha particles are deflected less than beta particles because they have a much greater mass.

Question 17

What is the charge like in alpha particles in comparison to beta particles?

Answer 17

Alpha particles have a larger charge then beta particles and feel a greater force in magnetic and electric fields

Question 18

Gamma radiation is an electromagnetic with that has no charge. Does it get deflected by electrical and magnetic fields?

Answer 18

No

Question 19

Which are the most ionising alpha particles or gamma rays?

Answer 19

Alpha particles

Question 20

Describe how the atomic number of a nucleus changes when a beta particle is emitted

Answer 20

It increases by one

Question 21

Describe how the mass number of a nucleus changes after alpha emission

Answer 21

It decreases by four

Question 22

Explain why alpha particles are deflected less than Beta particles

Answer 22

Alpha particles have a much greater mass

Question 23

What are alpha particles?

Answer 23

Alpha particles are helium nuclei

2 neutrons, 2 protons