Radiation

Question 1

What does the mass number of an atom tell you?

Answer 1

How many protons + neutrons

Question 2

What does the atomic number of an atom tell you?

Answer 2

How many protons there are

Question 3

What is an isotope?

Answer 3

An element with a different number on neutrons

Question 4

What is a nuclear isotope?

Why are they unstable?

Answer 4

An element with a with a greater amount of neutrons that protons

They are unstable because they have more neutrons than protons meaning that there mass is uneaqual

Question 5

What is nuclear radiation?

Answer 5

Particles or energy released from the nuclei of nuclear isotopes

Question 6

What is background radiation?

Answer 6

Radiation which is present in our environment from naturally radioactive substances

Question 7

What are the contributors to background radiation?

Answer 7

Radon gas 49%
medical 15%
ground and buildings 13%
cosmic rays 12%
food and drink 10%

Question 8

What do we use to measure radiation?

Answer 8

We use a Geiger Muller (GM) tube.

Question 9

What is radiation dosage measured in?

Answer 9

Milli-Sieverts (mSv)

Question 10

What are the five types of radiation, their mass, charge & symbol?

Answer 10

Alpha (a) mass: 4 
Beta (β-) mass: 1/1835
Beta(β+) 'Positron' mass: 1/1835
Gamma (Y) mass:  0
Neutron (n) mass:  1

Question 11

What is ionising of alpha, beta and gamma radiation?

Answer 11

Alpha: high ionising
Beta: moderate ionising
Gamma: weakly ionising

Question 12

Which materials can stop Alpha, Beta and Gamma

Answer 12

Alpha: paper
Beta: 3mm thick aluminium
Gamma: lead (few mm thick)

Question 13

What is nuclear decay?

Answer 13

The emission of radiation which causes the nucleus to lose energy and become more stable

Question 14

What is count rate/ activity?

Answer 14

The amount of nuclear radiation from nuclear isotopes from a nuclear isotope. Measured in Becquerel’s (Bq)