Key Definitions

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Atomic number/Proton number
number of protons in the atom. As the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons, it also equals the amount of electrons in the atom
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Mass number/Atomic Mass
Number of protons add the number of neutrons in the atom. So to work out neutrons you can take the atomic number away from the mass number.
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Isotope
Different forms of the same element.They have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons
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Ionising Radiation
Radiation that knocks electrons off atoms, creating positive ions.
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Ionising power/how ionising something is
How easily the radioactive particle can ionise(knock the electron off and complete the thing its doing) the atom
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What does an alpha particle consist of? How ionising is it?
Two protons and two neutrons. Very ionising due to its size
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How fast does Alpha travel and how far can it penetrate?
The speed of light and is absorbed by a sheet of paper
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What's its charge?
2+
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What does a beta particle consist of? How ionising is it?
It consists of one electron. It is moderately ionising.
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How fast does Beta travel and how far can it penetrate
Beta can travel a few meters in air and can be absorbed by a sheet of aliminium around 5mm thick.
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Whats its charge?
1-
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What does gamma consist of? How ionising is it?
Gamma rays are waves of electromagnetic radiation. Its weakly ionising because they tend to pass through instead of collide with atoms.
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How fast does gamma travel and how far can it penetrate?
Gamma can travel a long distance in air and can penetrate far into materials but can be absorbed by thick sheets of lead or meters of concrete
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Whats its charge?
Gamma rays carry no charge
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What happens during alpha decay?
It's atomic number decreases by 2 and its mass number decreases by 4
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What happens during beta decay?
The mass number increases by 1
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What happens during gamma decay?
There is no change!
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Half Life
The amount of time it takes for the amount of radiation emitted by the source to halve./ The time it takes for the activity to fall to half of its original level
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Activity
The rate at which a source decays. Measured in bq. 1bq is one decay per second
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Count rate
Number of radioactive emissions per second
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Background Radiation
The low level radiation that's around us all the time
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Where does background radiation come from?
Naturally occuring unstable isotopes in the air food, ground etc/ Radiation from space known as cosmic rays. These come from the sun/ Radiation due to human activity eg nuclear waste. This is really tiny
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Radiation Dose
The risk of harm to body tissue due to radiation exposure. Measured in siverts. 1sv = 1000msv
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Factors that effect radiation dose
Where you live, your job, if you've had many x rays
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Irradiation
When a thing is exposed to radiation it is irradiated.
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How to protect from irradiation?
Keeping sources in lead lined boxes. Being in a different room and using wing remote controlled arms
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Contamination
Radioactive particles getting on objects
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Why is contaminataion bad?
Because the contaminated atoms may decay and release harming radiation
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How to protect from contamination?
Wear cloves and tongs. Wear protective suits
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Outside of the body, which radiation types are most dangerous?
Beta and gamma because they are highly penetrating so can get inside the body and damage organ tissue. Alpha cannot penetrate through skin.
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Inside of the body, which radiation types are most dangerous?
Alpha because they do all ther damage in a very localised area Beta is less dangerous because the radiation is absorbed over a wider area or just passes out. Gamma mostly just passes out of the body because it has the smallest ionising power.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Mass number/Atomic Mass

Back

Number of protons add the number of neutrons in the atom. So to work out neutrons you can take the atomic number away from the mass number.

Card 3

Front

Isotope

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Ionising Radiation

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Ionising power/how ionising something is

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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