P3.2.6 - P3.2.7 Radioactivity 1 & 2 Flashcards
Henri Becquerel noticed invisible ‘rays’ turned his photographic plates dark. Which element did he study that did this?
Uranium
Which element did Marie Curie discover?
Radium
What does radium do in the dark?
Glow
Who discovered polonium?
Marie and Pierre Curie
What did Marie Curie name the invisible rays that were emitted by some materials?
Radiation
The radiation given off by radioactive materials can be one fo 3 types. Name these types.
Alpha particles
Beta particles
Gamma rays
What does emit mean?
Give off
What is an alpha particle?
The nucelus (protons and neutrons) of a helium atom
What is a beta particle?
An electron
What is gamma radiation?
a wave from the electromagnetic spectrum
Which type of radiation is the most dangerous?
Gamma radiation
What happens to radioactive elements over time?
They give off less radiation
What do we call the time it takes an element to give off half as much radiation per second?
a half-life
What are the benefits of radioactive materials?
Medical scanners (checking for cancers)
Destroying tumours (radiotherapy)
Sterilising medical instruments
Sterilising food
What are the negative aspects of radiactive substances?
They cause cancer
They can cause random mutations in DNA
