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National 5 Physics > Radiation > Flashcards

Radiation Flashcards

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1
Q

Why do atoms emit radiation?

A

To become more stable.

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2
Q

What are the three types of radiation that can be emitted?

A
  1. Alpha
  2. Beta
  3. Gamma
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3
Q

What is an Alpha particle?

A

2 protons and 2 neutrons/Helium nucleus

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4
Q

What is a Beta particle?

A

A fast moving electron.

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5
Q

What is Gamma radiation?

A

An electromagnetic wave.

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6
Q

What is a Source?

A

A material that contains radioactive atoms.

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7
Q

What is the term for when a source has emitted radiation?

A

Decaying.

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8
Q

What is Ionisation?

A

Ionisation is the addition or removal of an electron to create an ion

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9
Q

Which particle causes the most ionisation?

A

Alpha.

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10
Q

Why is radiation dangerous to humans?

A

It can damage healthy cells by ionising the atoms which make up the cells.

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11
Q

What is a group of damaged cells called?

A

A tumour.

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12
Q

What are detectors of radiation?

A

Geiger-Muller tube
Photographic film
Spark counters

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13
Q

What can absorb Alpha particles?

A

A thin sheet of paper.

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14
Q

What can absorb Beta particles?

A

Aluminium.

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15
Q

What can absorb Gamma radiation?

A

Thick lead or thick concrete.

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16
Q

Which type of radiation is the most penetrating?

A

Gamma radiation.

17
Q

What is the definition of activity?

A

Activity is the number of nuclear disintegrations (decays) per second.

18
Q

What is activity measured in?

A

Becquerels (Bq)

19
Q

What is background radiation?

A

Background radiation is the radiation that is around us all the time.

20
Q

Why is background radiation counted?

A

When measuring the activity of an unshielded source it is important that the background count is measured. The background count must then be subtracted from all readings taken.

21
Q

What is the Half Life?

A

The time for the activity to half.

22
Q

What are the three factors that the biological effect of radiation depend on?

A
  1. Absorbed dose
  2. Type of radiation
  3. Type of tissue absorbing the radiation.
23
Q

What is the symbol for absorbed dose and what is it measured in?

A

Symbol: D
Unit: Grays (Gy)

24
Q

What does the equivalent dose measure?

A

The equivalent dose is a measure of the biological harm that the radiation has on a tissue.

25
Q

What is the symbol of equivalent dose and what is it measured in?

A

Symbol: H
Units: Sieverts (Sv)

26
Q

What are safety precautions when handling sources?

A
  1. Limit the time of exposure
  2. Use shielding e.g. store sources in a labelled lead lined container
  3. Increase the distance between you and the source e.g. use tongs or forceps
  4. Point sources away from the body (especially the eyes)
  5. Wash hands after use
27
Q

How is radiation used in medicine?

A
  1. As a tracer. A gamma source can be injected into your body and used as a radioactive tracer to study the flow of blood around the body.
  2. To kill cancer cells. High energy gamma rays can be directed at the tumour, or an alpha source can be placed next to the tumour, to kill the cancerous cells.
  3. To sterilise medical equipment. Radiation can be used to kill bacteria on medical equipment.
28
Q

What are other uses of Radiation?

A
  1. To generate electricity in power stations.
  2. In a smoke detector. Alpha radiation is used to detect if there are
    smoke particles in the room or not.
  3. To sterilise food. Gamma radiation can be used to kill bacteria on the food and increase its shelf life.
  4. To detect the thickness of paper and foil. Beta radiation can be used to
    ensure the paper or foil is the right thickness.
  5. To detect flow rate of liquids in pipes.
29
Q

What are the two types of nuclear radiation?

A

Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.

30
Q

What is nuclear fission?

A

In Nuclear Fission, a nucleus of large mass number is split into nuclei of smaller mass number with the release of energy and two or three neutrons.

31
Q

How can a chain be created in nuclear fission?

A

The neutrons that are produced can split further nuclei and cause a chain reaction.

32
Q

What is nuclear fusion?

A

In Nuclear Fusion nuclei of smaller mass number join/recombine to form a nucleus of larger mass number with the release of energy.

33
Q

What are some advantages of nuclear fission?

A
  1. The fission process produces no greenhouse gases which are partly responsible for global warming.
  2. The supply of electricity is very reliable.
  3. A small amount of fuel creates a large amount of electricity.
34
Q

What are some disadvantages of nuclear fission?

A
  1. The fission reaction produces nuclear waste which remains dangerous for hundreds of years. This is very dangerous.
  2. Nuclear waste has to be stored safely for a long time.
  3. Nuclear power stations are expensive to build and expensive to decommission
    once they have come to the end of their working lives.
35
Q

What are some advantages of nuclear fusion?

A
  1. The fusion reaction is a very clean process. It does not produce greenhouse or radioactive waste.
  2. The fuel is a type of hydrogen atom which is in plentiful in sea water.
36
Q

What is a disadvantage of nuclear fusion?

A
  1. The fusion process requires temperatures similar to the core of the Sun to fuse the nuclei together. Creating temperatures this high is very difficult and expensive.
37
Q

What are some natural sources of radiation?

A
  1. Cosmic rays - radiation that reaches the Earth from space
  2. Radon gas - this radioactive gas is given off by tiny amounts of uranium that occurs in rocks and soil
  3. Rocks and building materials - rock, stone and building materials like concrete, bricks and ceramics all emit radiation
  4. Food and drink - plants absorb radioactive materials from the soil and these pass up the food chain
  5. Water
  6. Air

National 5 Physics (5 decks)

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