Types of radiation

Question 1

What is the proton number?

Answer 1

The number of total protons.

Question 2

What is the nucleon number?

Answer 2

The total number of protons and neutrons. (Top number)

Question 3

What is an isotope?

Answer 3

Isotopes are different forms of the same element. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Question 4

What is the proton number the same as?

Answer 4

The atomic number

Question 5

What is nucleon number the same as?

Answer 5

Atomic mass

Question 6

How can you work out a number of neutrons?

Answer 6

Subtracting the proton number from the nucleon number.

Question 7

What does it mean if a atom is radioactive?

Answer 7

The nucleus of the atom is unstable, due to an imbalance of protons and neutrons, it can break apart and emits radiation.

Question 8

What are the 3 types of radiation?

Answer 8

Alpha, beta and gamma.

Question 9

What stops alpha?

Answer 9

A sheet of paper or skin.

Question 10

What stops beta particles?

Answer 10

A few millimetres of aluminium or Perspex plastic.

Question 11

What stops gamma?

Answer 11

Several centimeters of lead.

Question 12

Alpha radiation fact sheet

Answer 12

Particles not rays
Travel at 10% the speed of light
Identical to a helium nucleus
2 protons and 2 neutrons joined together

Question 13

Beta radiation fact sheet

Answer 13

Fast moving electrons
From the nucleus
Travel at 50% the speed of light

Question 14

Gamma radiation fact sheet

Answer 14

Electromagnetic wave
Travels at speed of light (3x10^8m/s)
Vert high energy

Question 15

What does there need to be to have a stable atom?

Answer 15

Optimum balance between the number of protons and number of neutrons.

Question 16

How are alpha particles written as?

Answer 16

4/2He

Question 17

What are beta particles written as?

Answer 17

0/-1e because the are electrons

Question 18

Pb181/82 —- 4/2He + ??Hg

Answer 18

177/80Hg

Question 19

214/82Pb —– 0/-1e + ??Bi

Answer 19

214/83Bi

Question 20

Sources of background radiation?

Answer 20

Radon gas from rocks and soil
Gamma rays from the buildings and ground
Medical practices
Cosmic rays
Food and drink
\+other nuclear fallout/incident

Question 21

What can radon gas do?

Answer 21

Emitted from granite, it is a gas so can be inhaled into our lungs where it decays. Gets absorbed by cells in lungs, causing cells to die or mutate (cancer)

Question 22

Because radioactive decay is random, what does this mean for experiments?

Answer 22

• Repeated readings
• Mean averages
• Background radiation subtracted from results
• Readings taken place over lengthy period of time
  (techniques used to reduce the effect of random fluctuations in the measurements)

Question 23

How is nuclear waste stored?

Answer 23

Stored temporarily in water, surrounded by lots of concrete and lead shielding, while it cools. The radiation is absorbed by water concrete and lead. Long term, it is encased in blocks of glass, vitrification. This is then stored deep underground, where surrounding rocks absorb the radiation. This takes decades. Really radioactive waste is mixed with less radioactive waste.