Radiation

Question 1

What are the three main types of radiation?

Answer 1

Alpha, Beta and Gamma.

Question 2

How little is required to stop Alpha radiation?

Answer 2

Alpha radiation is the least penetrating. It can be stopped (or absorbed) by a sheet of paper.

Question 3

How little is required to stop Beta radiation?

Answer 3

Beta radiation can penetrate air and paper. It can be stopped by a thin sheet of aluminium.

Question 4

How little is required to stop Gamma radiation?

Answer 4

Gamma radiation is the most penetrating. Even small levels can penetrate air, paper or thin metal. Higher levels can only be stopped by many centimetres of lead, or many metres of concrete

Question 5

What is ionisation?

Answer 5

Ionization is the process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons to form ions, often in conjunction with other chemical changes.

Question 6

What are the uses of Alpha radiation?

Answer 6

Alpha radiation n is useful for smoke detectors. Smoke from a fire absorbs alpha radiation, altering the ionisation and triggering the alarm.

Question 7

What are the uses of Beta radiation?

Answer 7

Beta radiation is used for tracers and monitoring the thickness of materials. Doctors may use radioactive chemicals called tracers for medical imaging.

Question 8

What are the uses of Gamma radiation?

Answer 8

Gamma radiation is used in the treatment of cancer, testing equipment and sterilising medical instruments.