Background radiation and contamination- page 54

?
  • Created by: emj790
  • Created on: 01-03-17 22:03
What is backgound radiation?
It is low-level radiation that's around us all the time
1 of 40
Where does it come from (short answers)? (5)
Food, Rocks, Ground, Cosmic rays, human activity (nuclear bombs)
2 of 40
What is a lot of it?
Radon
3 of 40
What percentage?
50%
4 of 40
Where does it come from on Earth? (5)
Food, medicine, air, rocks and building materials
5 of 40
In what form does it come from space? (1)
Cosmic rays
6 of 40
Where do cosmic rays come from?
The Sun and other stars
7 of 40
Why are we lucky when it comes to this?
Our atmosphere protects us from alot of this radiation
8 of 40
In what form does radiation come from human activity?
Fallout from nuclear explosions or nuclear waste
9 of 40
Why don't we need to worry about it?
It represents a tiny proportion of the total background radiation
10 of 40
What is absorbed radiation dose?
The amount of radiation you're exposed to (and so the amount of energy your body absorbs)
11 of 40
How does your radiation dose vary?
It varies depending on where you live, if you have a job that involves radiation, what you eat and whether you need any medical procedures performed (or had previously)
12 of 40
What is Irradiation?
Exposure to radiation
13 of 40
Give an example of something being irradiated
An object near a radioactive source or us with background radiation
14 of 40
What does irradiating something not do?
Make something radioactive
15 of 40
How can you reduce the effects of irradiation?
Keeping sources in lead-lined boxes, stand behind barriers, be in a different room
16 of 40
What do medical staff (that work with radiation) do?
They wear photographic film badges
17 of 40
Why do they do this?
To monitor their exposure
18 of 40
What is contamination?
When unwanted radioactive atoms get onto an object
19 of 40
What could then happen?
These contaminated atoms might decay, releasing radiation which could cause you harm
20 of 40
Why is contamination especially dangerous?
The radioactive particles could get inside your body
21 of 40
What should you use when handling sources?
Gloves and tongs
22 of 40
Why?
To avoid particles getting stuck to your skin or under your nails.
23 of 40
What do some industrial workers wear?
Protective suits
24 of 40
Why?
To stop them breathing in particles
25 of 40
How does radiation damage cells?
By ionisation
26 of 40
What can radiation do?
It can enter living cells and ionise atoms and molecules within them
27 of 40
What can this lead to?
Tissue damage
28 of 40
What happens with lower doses?
It tends to cause minor damage without killing cells
29 of 40
What could then happen?
It can rise to mutant cells which divide uncontrollably, this is called cancer
30 of 40
What happens with higher doses?
It tends to kill cells completely
31 of 40
What could this cause?
Radiation sickness if a lot of cells all get blatted at once
32 of 40
What does radiation sickness lead to? (symptoms)
Vomiting, tiredness and hair loss
33 of 40
What are the most dangerous types of radiation, outside the body?
Beta and gamma
34 of 40
Why?
They can penetrate the body and get to the delicate organs
35 of 40
Why is Alpha less dangerous?
It can't penetrate the skin
36 of 40
What is the most dangerous inside the body?
Alpha
37 of 40
Why?
They are strongly ionising, so they do all their damage in a very localised area
38 of 40
Therefore, what is the major concern when it comes to Alpha?
Contamination
39 of 40
Why?
You come into contact with the source and it would have a more devastating effect than at a distance
40 of 40

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Where does it come from (short answers)? (5)

Back

Food, Rocks, Ground, Cosmic rays, human activity (nuclear bombs)

Card 3

Front

What is a lot of it?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What percentage?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Where does it come from on Earth? (5)

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Physics resources:

See all Physics resources »See all Background radiation and contamination resources »