Radiological Fundamentals Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 basic particles of an atom?

A

Proton, Neutron, Electron

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2
Q

Atomic number = number of ____ in nucleus.

A

Protons

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3
Q

Elements w/ atomic numbers of 83 or higher (bismuth & above) are inherently unstable and undergo _______ ________.

A

radioactive decay

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4
Q

Atoms that have the same number of protons but different number of ____ are called isotopes.

A

neutrons

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5
Q

If the number of protons change, the _____ changes.

A

element

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6
Q

Atoms or groups of atoms that have a net positive or negative electrical charge are called ____.

A

ion/s

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7
Q

Isotopes have the same chemical properties, but their ______ properties can be very different.

A

nuclear

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8
Q

Common notation describing isotopes is to list the atomic symbol for an element followed by its _____ number.

A

mass (Pu-239)

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9
Q

The mass number is the sum of ____ & ____.

A

protons & neutrons

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10
Q

Tritium has 1 proton & 2 neutrons - how is it denoted?

A

H-3

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11
Q

The particle(s) and/or energy released as the atom tries to become stable is called ______.

A

radiation

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12
Q

When an atom or other body changes from a higher energy state to a lower one, it emits energy in the form of waves or moving _____ _____ (i.e., radiation).

A

subatomic particles

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13
Q

Unstable atoms are known as _____ atoms, such as Carbon-14 which has 6 protons and ___ neutrons.

A

radioactive / 8

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14
Q

Radioactivity is the property of certain _____ or _____ to spontaneously emit radiation.

A

nuclides or isotopes

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15
Q

Radiation is particles or energy that can…

A

Come to & through you

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16
Q

Contamination is radioactive material in any unwanted place that can…

A

get on & inside you

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17
Q

dpm = disintegrations per ______

A

minute

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18
Q

dps = disintegrations per _____

A

second

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19
Q

Radioactivity is measured by the ______ of disintegrations radioactive material undergoes in a certain period of time.

A

number / amount

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20
Q

1 Curie = 2.22 E12 ___

A

dpm

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21
Q

1 Curie = 3.7 E10 ___

A

dps

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22
Q

In order to measure the radioactivity from contamination, we use instruments that indicate the number of times the radiation reacts w/ instrument over a period of time (usually 1 min) and is identified as ____ per minute or ____.

A

counts / cpm

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23
Q

A correction factor (cf) is applied to the counts per minute (cpm) to factor in any radiation the instrument did not detect and then converts the counts to ____.

A

dpm

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24
Q

CPM x __ = DPM

A

CF (correction factor)

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25
To help measure the amount of contamination (ex. how much radioactive dust is on a given area), it is necessary to measure (survey) the contamination. We monitor a standard area of about __ inches by __ inches or ___ square centimeters.
4 x 4 / 100
26
When documenting the amount of contamination measured, it is reported as dpm/___cm2.
dpm per 100 cm squared
27
If contamination is measured in the air or water, it is reported per unit of ____ such as ml, qt, g, lbs, etc.
volume
28
Ionization is the PROCESS of removing _____ from an atom.
electrons
29
______ radiation is energy (particles or rays) emitted from radioactive atoms that can cause ionization.
Ionizing
30
Some devices that emit ionizing radiation include...?
X-ray machines, accelerators, & fluoroscopes
31
What are the 4 basic types of ionizing radiation observed in the nuclear industry?
Alpha particles, beta particles, gamma/x-rays, & neutron particles
32
True or False: Exposure to ionizing radiation, w/o exposure to unconfined radioactive materials, will NOT result in contamination of the worker.
True
33
If radiation has enough energy to remove an electron from the atom, it is called _____ radiation and may be harmful to all life.
ionizing
34
What type of radiation does NOT have enough energy to ionize an atom?
non-ionizing (electromagnetic)
35
What are some examples of non-ionizing radiation?
Radar waves, microwaves, & visible light
36
Of the 4 types of ionizing radiation, which one has the largest mass?
alpha particles
37
Alpha particles have a (+) charge because they have 2 protons and no _____.
electrons
38
Alpha particle's (++) charge strips electrons (-) from nearby atoms as it passes through the material, thus ____ these atoms.
ionizing
39
Due to alpha particles size and high charge, their range in air is about __ to __ _____.
1-2 inches
40
Alpha particles can sometimes be hard to detect because they are so easily _____.
shielded
41
Alpha radiation sources at the Hanford site are usually facilities that processed ____ for weapons or are storing that ____.
plutonium / waste
42
Are beta particles positively or negatively charged? What is their relative mass?
Both charges (+1 or -1) / small
43
Positively charged beta particles are called ____ and have a charge of +__.
positrons / 1
44
Negatively charged beta particles are physically identical to an _______.
electron
45
The Beta particle can cause ionization due to the repulsive force between the beta particle (-) and the electron (-). When a beta particle encounters an atom, the beta particle _____ the electron out of the atom’s orbit, thus ionizing the atom.
pushes
46
The range of a beta particle's penetrating ability depends on the _____ of the beta particle. Does tritium (H-3) or strontium-90 (Sr-90) have a bigger range?
energy / Sr-90
47
If ingested or inhaled, a _____ emitter can be an internal hazard when source of radiation is in close contact w/ body tissue & can deposit energy in a small volume of living body tissue. Externally, this particle is potentially hazardous to the skin and ____ lens.
beta / eye
48
This type of ____-emitting isotope is found at most nuclear facilities/laboratories on the Hanford Site because it is created in abundance during the fission process of an operating nuclear reactor.
Beta
49
___ ___ and ____ radiation are electromagnetic waves (photons). They have a neutral (0) electrical charge. Gamma radiation is a ray, not a particle, and thus has no ___.
Gamma rays & X-ray / mass
50
_______ particles are neutrons that have been released from the nucleus of an atom. They have ____ charge and are approximately one quarter the mass of an alpha particle.
Neutrons / zero or neutral
51
Called "secondary ______", an interaction can occur as the result of a collision between a neutron & a nucleus. The nucleus recoils due to the energy imparted by the neutron & ionizes other atoms.
ionization
52
Because of the lack of an ____ ____, neutrons have a relatively high penetrating capability & are more difficult to shield. Neutrons can easily travel several ____ feet in air.
electrical charge / hundred
53
Neutrons are most effectively stopped/shielded by using materials w/ a high ____ content, such as water, concrete, ____, paraffin or ____.
Hydrogen / plastic / oil
54
Sources of neutron radiation on the HS are found at facilities that contain ____ & certain ____ isotopes or where ____ fuel is stored.
plutonium / uranium / spent
55
A type of radiation dose unit pertaining to gamma/x-rays only, ______, is a unit for measuring external exposure - energy deposited by radiation in air.
roentgen (R)
56
RAD (Radiation Absorbed Dose) is a unit for measuring the amount of absorbed dose in ____ material.
any
57
What unit is used to measure the amount of biological damage to the human body from radiation?
REM (Roentgen Equivalent Man)
58
The millirem (mrem) is 1/____ of a rem.
1000
59
Radiation ____ ____ are used as a correction factor to reflect relative amount of biological damage caused by same amount of energy deposited in cells by different types of ionizing radiation.
Weighting Factors
60
REM = RAD x ___
WR
61
The radiation weighting factors (WR) for alpha = 20, beta = 1, gamma = ___, and neutron = (what range?).
1 / 5-20
62
Radiation / Time = ____ ____
Dose Rate
63
If 1 rem = 1000 mrem, 2.5 rem is how many mrem?
2500 (move decimal 3 places to the right)
64
If 1000 mrem = 1 rem, 4500 mrem is how many rem?
4.5 (move decimal 3 places to left)