P2e-nuclear radiation Flashcards
what is a beneficial use of alpha radiation?
smoke detectors
what are some beneficial uses for beta radiation?
tracers and paper thickness gauges
what are some beneficial uses for gamma radiation?
treating cancer, non-destructive testing, tracers and sterilising equipment
what are some harmful effects of nuclear radiation?
damages living cells
causes cancer
what is alpha radiation stopped by?
a few sheets of paper
what is beta radiation stopped by?
a few mm of aluminium
what is gamma radiation stopped by?
a few cm of lead
what happens when electrons are lost from atoms?
nuclear radiation can form positive ions
what happens when electrons are gained by atoms?
nuclear radiation can can form negative ions
what is ionisation?
when radiation causes atoms to lose or gain electrons, turning those atoms into ions
how does radiation damage human cells?
radiation can ionise molecules when it enters human cells
it can damage DNA which causes mutation leading to cancer
how can you handle radioactive materials safely?
protective clothing
tongs/keep your distance
short exposure time
shielded and labelled storage
what are the properties of waste from nuclear power?
radioactive
harmful
not causing global warming
is uranium renewable or non renewable?
non renewable
what is plutonium?
waste product from nuclear reactors
can be used to make nuclear bombs
what are some ways of disposing radioactive waste?
low level waste in land fill sites
encased in glass and left underground
reprocessed
what are the advantages of nuclear power?
doesn’t release a lot of Co2
release more energy than chemical reactions
nuclear fuel is relatively cheap
theres still a lot of uranium in the ground
what are the disadvantages of nuclear power?
nuclear power stations expensive to build and maintain
processing uranium before you use it causes pollution
risk of leaks and major catastrophes
radioactive waste is dangerous and difficult to reprocess and dispose of
expensive to decommission
uranium is non renewable
what are the problems with dealing with radioactive waste?
remains radioactive for a long time
terrorist risk
must be kept out of groundwater
acceptable radioactivity level may change over time
