What are the three main types of ionising radiation emitted from an unstable nuclei of radioactive atoms?
Alpha, beta, gamma
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What particles does alpha radiation consist of?
Alpha particles
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What is an alpha particles identical to?
The nucleus of a helium atom which has two protons and two neutrons
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What does beta radiation consist of?
High energy electrons emitted from the nucleus
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True or False: These high energy electron have come from the electro shells around the nucleus?
False: they form when a neutron splits into a proton and an electron
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True or False: Gamma radiation has a short wavelength?
True
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How do all types of radiation become less intense?
as they travel further away from the radioactive material. This is because the particles or rays become more spread out
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The thicker the substance...
...the more the radiation is absorbed
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What can alpha radiation be stopped by?
A human hand
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What can beta radiation be stopped by?
A thin sheet of aluminium
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What can gamma radiation be stopped by?
Many cm of lead or many m of concrete
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What part of a radioactive atom is unstable?
The nuclei
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What is radioactive decay?
When they breakdown and change into a completely different type of atom
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What is the half-life of the radioactive isotope?
how long it takes for half the nuclei of a piece of radioactive material to decay
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What is half-life?
the time it takes for the number of nuclei of the isotope in a sample to halve OR the time it takes for the count rate from a sample containing the isotope to fall to half its starting level
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What charge is an alpha particle?
Positive
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What charge is a beta particle?
Negative
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What charge is a gamma particle?
Electrically neutral
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What can alpha and beta radiation be deflected by?
Electric/magnetic fields
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What happens to photographic film when it absorbs radiation?
It gets darker
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Why do people who work with radiation wear film badges?
To monitor the levels of radiation absorbed
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What are the different materials that the badges contain for the radiation to penetrate to reach the film?
Aluminium, copper, lead-tin alloy and plastic
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What is another tool used to detect radiation?
The Geiger-Muller tube
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What does the geiger-muller tube transmit every time it absorbs radiation?
An electrical pulse to a counting machine
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What sound does it make when it detects radiation?
A clicking sound
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The greater the frequency of clicks...
...the more radiation the Geiger-Muller tube is absorbing
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Where can background radiation come from?
Natural or artificial sources
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What natural sources can radiation come from?
Living things, rocks and soil, cosmic rays
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What artificial sources can radiation come from?
Medical x-rays, radioactive fallout, radioactive waste
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What particles does alpha radiation consist of?
Back
Alpha particles
Card 3
Front
What is an alpha particles identical to?
Back
Card 4
Front
What does beta radiation consist of?
Back
Card 5
Front
True or False: These high energy electron have come from the electro shells around the nucleus?
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