P4: DANGERS AND USES OF RADIATION

Question 1

What is irradiation?

Answer 1

-when objects are exposed to radiation but do not come into contact with the radioactive isotopes themselves
-if an object is irradiated the object does not become radioactive

Question 2

What is contamination?

Answer 2

-when objects come into contact with radioactive isotopes
-contamination causes objects to become radioactive

Question 3

What are the dangers of ionising radiation?

Answer 3

-direct tissue damage
-cancer

Question 4

How is alpha radiation used?

Answer 4

used in smoke detectors:
-ionises air particles causing a current to flow
-if there’s smoke in the air it binds to the ions meaning that the current stops and the alarm sounds

Question 5

How is beta radiation used?

Answer 5

used to test thickness of paper/sheets of metal (particles are not immediately absorbed by material like alpha radiation would be and do not penetrate as far as gamma rays)

Question 6

How is gamma radiation used?

Answer 6

radiotherapy:
-gamma rays directed carefully and at the right dosage to kill the cancer cells without damaging too many normal cells