Radiation and Risk

Question 1

Describe the structure of an atom

Answer 1

A nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electron shells

Question 2

What is a positive ion?

Answer 2

An atom which has lost one or more electrons

Question 3

What is a negative ion?

Answer 3

An atom which has gained one or more electrons

Question 4

State the three forms of radiation

Answer 4

Alpha, beta, gamma

Question 5

Which form of radiation is the most penetrating?

Answer 5

Gamma (then beta, then alpha)

Question 6

Which form of radiation has the furthest range?

Answer 6

Gamma (then beta, then alpha)

Question 7

Which form of radiation is the most ionising?

Answer 7

Alpha (then beta, then gamma)

Question 8

Which form of radiation is stopped by paper?

Answer 8

Alpha

Question 9

Which form of radiation is stopped by aluminium foil?

Answer 9

Beta

Question 10

Which form of radiation is reduced by thick lead?

Answer 10

Gamma

Question 11

What is alpha radiation?

Answer 11

Two protons and two neutrons (a helium nucleus)

Question 12

What is beta radiation?

Answer 12

Electron

Question 13

What is gamma radiation?

Answer 13

Electromagnetic wave

Question 14

State the use of alpha radiation

Answer 14

Smoke alarms

Question 15

State the use of beta radiation

Answer 15

Controlling the thickness of sheet materials like paper

Question 16

State the uses of gamma radiation

Answer 16

Treating cancer, sterilising medical equipment and food

Question 17

How does alpha radiation affect an atom’s atomic mass?

Answer 17

Decreases it by 4

Question 18

How does alpha radiation affect an atom’s proton number?

Answer 18

Decreases it by 2

Question 19

How does beta radiation affect an atom’s mass?

Answer 19

Stays the same

Question 20

How does beta radiation affect an atom’s proton number?

Answer 20

Increases by 1

Question 21

Why does beta radiation increase an atom’s proton number?

Answer 21

A neutron decays to become a proton and an electron. The electron is emitted as radiation and the extra proton increases the proton number by one

Question 22

How does gamma radiation affect an atom’s mass?

Answer 22

Stays the same

Question 23

How does gamma radiation affect an atom’s proton number?

Answer 23

Stays the same

Question 24

Why doesn’t gamma radiation affect the mass or proton number of an atom?

Answer 24

It is a wave so has no mass

Question 25

Define half-life

Answer 25

The time taken for the number of raidoactive isotopes in a sample to halve

Question 26

Why do we use half-life to predict when a radioactive sample will become safe?

Answer 26

Nuclear decay is random, half-life gives us an estimate and we know that a radioactive sample will become safer after multiple half-lives

Question 27

State the units for nuclear decay

Answer 27

Becquerels (Bq)

Question 28

Define irradiation

Answer 28

When an object is exposed to radiation but does not become radioactive itself

Question 29

Define contamination

Answer 29

When radioactive material is transferred onto another object or organism and continues to emit radiation

Question 30

How can we prevent irradiation?

Answer 30

Store in a lead-lined box, use robotic arms when handling

Question 31

How can we prevent contamination?

Answer 31

Use tongs, wear gloves and protective suits when handling

Question 32

What do Sieverts (Sv) measure?

Answer 32

The dose of radiation

Question 33

Which type of radiation is more dangerous inside the body?

Answer 33

Alpha

Question 34

Which type of radiation is more dangerous outside the body?

Answer 34

Gamma

Question 35

State three sources of background radiation

Answer 35

Cosmic rays, rocks and soil, fallout from nuclear testing, living organisms

Question 36

What is a tumour?

Answer 36

Uncontrolled cell growth and division resulting in a lump

Question 37

What is a benign tumour?

Answer 37

A tumour which is not cancerous and stays in the same place, usually stops growing and is harmless unless its growth affects vital organs

Question 38

What is a malignant tumour?

Answer 38

A tumour which is cancerous and spreads around the body via blood

Question 39

What causes cancer?

Answer 39

Ionising radiation causes atoms in DNA to become ions, this damages DNA and causes mutations in cells, cells start to grow and divide uncontrollable to form a malignant tumour

Question 40

State two treatments for cancer

Answer 40

Chemotherapy (drugs) and radiotherapy (exposure to gamma radiation)

Question 41

Give three risk factors for cancer

Answer 41

Smoking, exposure to radiation, alcohol, family history/genetics

Question 42

What is a radioactive half life?

Answer 42

Time taken for half the radioactive nuclei to decay

Question 43

What stops alpha radiation?

Answer 43

Paper, skin

Question 44

What stops beta radiation?

Answer 44

Aluminium

Question 45

What stops gamma radiation?

Answer 45

Concrete, lead