ionizing radiation Flashcards
what are the three types of ionizing radiation
alpha, beta, gamma
what is ionizing
ionizing is where electrons get knocked out of atoms producing ions
what are alpha particles made of
2 protons and 2 neutrons
what can the alpha particle also be known as
helium nucleus
is the alpha particle highly ionizing
yes
how can the alpha particles be stopped
paper
skin
6cm of air
what is a beta particle
an electron emitted from the nucleus when a neutron splits into a proton and an electron
is a beta particle highly ionizing
it has a mid ionizing ability
how can beta particles be stopped
≈ 6mm of aluminium
20cm of air
what is a gamma ray
high frequency, high energy electromagnetic wave (short wave length)
are gamma rays highly ionizing
no - weakly ionizing
how can gamma rays be stopped
thick lead/concrete
describe how radioactive decay occurs
radioactive decay occurs when an unstable nucleus emits radiation and can change to a different element
what does a GM (Geiger-muller) tube detect
ionizing radiation
(sends signal to counter)
how do you measure background radiation
- set up Geiger counter in room with no radioactive sources
- measure count (rate) for a long time ≈ 1hour
- activity = counts/time e.g. 1800 counts in 1hour —> 1800/3600s = 0.5 counts per second
- running for a long time helps account for the RANDOM nature of radioactive decay
