Types of radiation Flashcards
What is the proton number?
The number of total protons.
What is the nucleon number?
The total number of protons and neutrons. (Top number)
What is an isotope?
Isotopes are different forms of the same element. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
What is the proton number the same as?
The atomic number
What is nucleon number the same as?
Atomic mass
How can you work out a number of neutrons?
Subtracting the proton number from the nucleon number.
What does it mean if a atom is radioactive?
The nucleus of the atom is unstable, due to an imbalance of protons and neutrons, it can break apart and emits radiation.
What are the 3 types of radiation?
Alpha, beta and gamma.
What stops alpha?
A sheet of paper or skin.
What stops beta particles?
A few millimetres of aluminium or Perspex plastic.
What stops gamma?
Several centimeters of lead.
Alpha radiation fact sheet
Particles not rays
Travel at 10% the speed of light
Identical to a helium nucleus
2 protons and 2 neutrons joined together
Beta radiation fact sheet
Fast moving electrons
From the nucleus
Travel at 50% the speed of light
Gamma radiation fact sheet
Electromagnetic wave
Travels at speed of light (3x10^8m/s)
Vert high energy
What does there need to be to have a stable atom?
Optimum balance between the number of protons and number of neutrons.
How are alpha particles written as?
4/2He
What are beta particles written as?
0/-1e because the are electrons
Pb181/82 —- 4/2He + ??Hg
177/80Hg
214/82Pb —– 0/-1e + ??Bi
214/83Bi
Sources of background radiation?
Radon gas from rocks and soil Gamma rays from the buildings and ground Medical practices Cosmic rays Food and drink \+other nuclear fallout/incident
What can radon gas do?
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)
Because radioactive decay is random, what does this mean for experiments?
- 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)
How is nuclear waste stored?
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.
