Atomic Structure (4) - Pt 2 Flashcards
1
Q
What radiation type is used in medical tracers?
A
- gamma sources (never alpha) so that radiation passes out of the body without causing ionisation
- they should have a short half-life so the radioactivity inside the patient quickly disappears
2
Q
What Nuclear radiations used in medicine for?
A
- exploration of internal organs
* control or destruction of unwanted tissue
3
Q
Explain how radiation can be used to treat cancer?
A
- radiotherapy
- high doses of ionising radiation kills all living cells, it’s used to treat cancer
- gamma rays are directed at the right dosage to kill the cancer cells without damage too many normal cells
- damage to normal cells is inevitable it can make the patient to feel very ill
4
Q
What’s a perceived risk?
A
- It’s how risky a person thinks something is.
- This can vary from person to person
5
Q
What are the 2 most common elects that undergo nuclear fission?
A
uranium and plutonium
6
Q
Explain in detail how nuclear fission works?
A
- the nucleus has to absorb a neutron
- the atom splits to form 2 lighted element (roughly the same size)
- 2/3 neutrons are also released which can cause a chain reaction
- the amount of energy produced is controlled in a nuclear reactor it’s controlled by changing how quickly the chain reactions occur. This is done by using control rods which can be lowered or raised to absorb neutrons, slow down the chain reaction and control the amount if energy released
7
Q
What happens if there’s an uncontrolled chain reaction?
A
-it quickly leads to lots of energy being released as an explosion-this is his nuclear weapons work
8
Q
What is nuclear fusion?
A
- 2 light nuclei collide at high speed abs fuse to create a larger heavier nucleus
- some of the mass of the light nuclei is converted into energy which is released as radiation
- it releases a lot of energy but the temperature abs pressure needed for it are so high the fusion reactors are really hard and expensive to build
