Radioactivity Flashcards
What is Radioactivity?
Radioactivity is the spontaneous breaking up of unstable nuclei with the emission of one or more types of radiation
What is Half life?
The half life of an element is the time taken for half of the nuclei in any given sample to decay
What is a radioisotope?
A radioisotope is a radioactive isotope
What is one use of radioisotopes?
Archeological uses -> Radiocarbon dating is technique used to determine the age of an object containing carbon. It is based on the ratio of carbon 14 to carbon 12 in the object
Who discovered radioactivity
Henri Becquerel
What did Pierre and Marie Curie discover?
Polonium and Radium
What are the three types of radiation?
Alpha, Beta, Gamma
What are alpha particles made up of?
Groups of two protons and two neutrons i.e. Helium Nuclei
… particles are fast-moving electrons
Beta particles
… … are high energy electromagnectic …
Gamma rays are high energy electromagnetic radiation
Name the least penetrating type of radioactive radiation
Alpha particles
Name an instrument commonly used to detect radioactivity
Geiger-Muller tube
Name the type of radiation which is stopped by about 5mm thick alluminum metal
Beta particles
Name the radioactive element that is commonly used in smoke detectors
Americium-241
Many of the elements in a certain part of the periodic table are radioactive. Where is this part?
Period 7 and 9
