Uses of Radiation

Uses of Radiation

Sterilising machines in hospitals use gamma radiation to kill bacteria on medical instruments, they use a powerful radiation source with a long half-life, so it lasts a long time.

Smoke detectors use a weak source of alpha radiation to ionise the air between two electrodes making charged particles which carry a current. If there's a fire, the smoke absorbs the radiation, the current stops and the alarm goes off.

Medical tracers use beta or gamma radiation...

• A source that emits beta or gamma radiation is injected or swallowed.
• The radiation penetrates the body tissues and can be detected externally
• As the source moves around the body, a radiographer uses a detector to monitor it's progress
• A computer…