W3 Radiation

Question 1

What is ionising radiation?

Answer 1

Has enough energy to strip electrons away from other atoms/molecules

Question 2

What is radiation?

Answer 2

Radiation is the emission or travel of energy either as particles or as electromagnetic wave.

Question 3

What is Ionising particle radiation?

Answer 3

Occurs when alpha- or beta- particles are ejected from atoms during radioacite decay

Question 4

Describe alpha x-rays

Answer 4

When some radioisotopes decay their nucleus releases a helium nucleus

Question 5

Describe beta x-rays

Answer 5

In some radioisotopes, neutrons in the nucleus decay and turn into protons

Question 6

Describe gamma x-rays

Answer 6

Electromagnetic energy. They pass through things easily, due to size.

Question 7

What is nonionising radiation?

Answer 7

Can interact with materials but it does not have enough energy to remove electrons.

Question 8

What is nuclear radiation?

Answer 8

The release of radiation due to the breakdown of an atoms nucleus (called decay)

Question 9

What happens in nuclear fission?

Answer 9

Strong tendancy for the protons to want to fly always from each other (like a magnet)

Question 10

What does the term radioactive half life refer to ?

Answer 10

Of an isotope is the time it takes for half of the radioisotope to be eliminated from the body via normal excretion.

Question 11

How does radiation cause damage?

Answer 11

Through direct damage

Indirect radiation damage

Question 12

What is direct radiation damage?

Answer 12

Occurs when direct damage occurs when radiation rays physically collide with components of the cell and break apart

Question 13

What is indirect radiation damage?

Answer 13

Is more complicated b/c it’s caused by ionised radiation

Question 14

Explain how radiation causes cancer

Answer 14

If DNA is damaged either (directly, or indirectly) by radiation, it can effect the way proteins are produced by a cell.

Question 15

What does the term biological half-life refer to?

Answer 15

An isotope is the time it takes for half of that radioisotope to be eliminated from the body via normal excretion

Question 16

Which 3 factors should be considered to minimise harm?

Answer 16

Type, Time, Distance

Question 17

Describe Type

Answer 17

Type of radiation, a, b, or gamma

Question 18

Describe Time

Answer 18

Time of exposure, the shorter the radiation rays the better

Question 19

Describe Distance

Answer 19

Distance from the radiation source.

Question 20

What does the term radioactive half-life refer to

Answer 20

The time it takes for half of a specific amount of radioisotope to decay into a stable form is referred to as the radioactive half-life of that isotope