Nuclear Psychics Flashcards
What are the sub atomic particles of an atom and their charges
Electron - 1/1840 mass and is negative electric charge
Protons - 1 mass and is positive electric charged
Neutrons - 1 mass and has no electric charge
What is the atomic number, the mass number and the relative atomic mass
Atomic mass is p+
Mass number is p+ and n
Relative atomic mass is the average weight of the individual isotopes
What is an isotope
The same element with a different number of protons
Why are some isotopes radioactive and others not?
The binding energy isn’t strong enough
There is too much of a difference between the amount of protons and neutrons
There is too much nuclear energy
There has been an artificial increase of p+ and n
What is alpha radiation
When the nucleus emits 2 proton and 2 neutrons
It is used in smoke detectors
Is stopped by paper, aluminium and lead
What is beta radiation
When a negatively charged particle emits an electron
It is used to find the cause of cancer and in tracers
It is stopped by aluminium and lead
What is gamma radiation
When a particle with no electrical charge emits an electron in electromagnetic waves
It is used for cancer treatment
Is stopped by lead
What is alpha decay
When an atom emits 2 protons and 2 neutrons causing the element to change
What is beta decay
When an electron is emitted from an atom at high speed changing the atomic number by one
What are the main sources of background radiation?
Ground, buildings, food and drink, cosmic rays and artificial sources including, nuclear power, medical and other
What is a half life
It is the time it takes for a sample of radioactive isotopes to disintergrate in half
A half life occurs when the original amount of unstable/radioactive atoms half
What isotope can determine the age of artefacts and how?
Carbon-14 can determine the approximate age of an artefact by determining how much carbon-14 has transformed as most organic artefacts are made up of carbon-14
How are radioisotopes used in the storage of radioactive waste
The radioactive waste shouldn’t be radioactive anymore after 10 half-life
How are radioisotopes used in the treatment of cancer
The radiation of the isotopes will kill the cancer cells and/or prevent them from multiplying
How are radioisotopes used in medical diagnosis
The radioactive substances Are inserted into the body, and the radiation produced whilst the body is being investigated is measured helping to determine the problem
