Uses of nuclear radiation Flashcards
1
Q
What type of radiation is used for medical tracers?
A
Beta or gamma radiation
2
Q
Why would alpha radiation be useless for medical tracers?
A
It would be immediately stopped by body tissues, so you’d never detect it externally. It’s also really harmful if it gets inside the human body because it is strongly ionizing.
3
Q
What type of radiation is used to treat cancer?
A
Gamma
4
Q
Which type of radiation causes cancer?
A
Gamma
5
Q
What does radiotherapy do?
A
It kills cancer cells and stops them from dividing. It has to be carefully directed to zap the cells in the tumour while minimizing the dose to the rest of the body.
6
Q
What can gamma rays be used for?
A
Sterilising food and equipment by killing microbes
7
Q
What can radiation be used for?
A
Tracers and thickness gauges
