radiation including contamination Flashcards
what are the three main types of radiation
alpha, beta and gamma
what is an alpha particle
two protons and two neutrons
in which type of radiation does a neutron split into a proton and an electron
Beta
what is gamma radiation
a very short wavelength, high frequency electromagnetic radiation
how far can alpha radiation travel in air
only a few cm
how far can beta travel in air
tens of cm
how far can gamma travel in air
very large distances
what is alpha radiation
the least penetrating, can be stopped paper
beta radiation
beta radiation can be stopped by a thin sheet of aluminium
gamma radiation
gamma is the most penetrating, can be stopped by many centimetres of lead or many metres of concrete
what is a half life
the time it takes for a umber of nuclei in an isotope to half
explain why alpha radiation is highly dangerous to the human body
alpha radiation is highly ionising, causing increased chance cancer, it can cause organ failure or radiation sickness, it can cause mutation of genes, DNA or damage cells
