Overview of Radiation Types and Sources PJ

Question 1

what can radiation be categorized as?

Answer 1

ionizing and non-ionizing

Question 2

radiation can be in the form of what three things?

Answer 2

particles, massless quanta, and disturbances in the medium itself

Question 3

any form of radiation that possesses mass is termed what?

Answer 3

particulate (or corpuscular) radiation

Question 4

what are three examples of particulate radiation?

Answer 4

alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons

Question 5

does particulate radiation possess mass?

Answer 5

yes

Question 6

does particulate radiation possess charge

Answer 6

may (alpha, beta) or may not (neutron) possess charge

Question 7

does particulate radiation travel less, more or equal to the speed of light?

Answer 7

less

Question 8

what type of every does particulate radiation possess?

Answer 8

kinetic

Question 9

what is the formula for kinetic energy?

Answer 9

1/2 mass x velocity ^2

Question 10

alpha = __ AMU
neutron = __ AMU
beta or positron = __ AMU

Answer 10

alpha = 4 AMU
neutron = 1 AMU
beta or positron = 1/1840 AMU

Question 11

what charge does alpha have?

Answer 11

2 positive charges

Question 12

what charge does beta have?

Answer 12

1 negative charge

Question 13

what charge does positron have?

Answer 13

1 positive charge

Question 14

what does radiation with a finite range mean?

Answer 14

any shielding material thicker than the maximum range will stop ALL of the radiation particles, regardless of haw many are being emitted by the source

Question 15

how do charged particles interact with orbital electrons?

Answer 15

through direct electrostatic collisions

Question 16

what are the may direct electrostatic collisions result in?

Answer 16

ionization or excitation

Question 17

what happens to the electron during ionization?

Answer 17

electron “ejected” from orbit

Question 18

what happens to the electron during excitation?

Answer 18

electron raised to higher energy orbit

Question 19

what do excited electrons give off when they revert to their ground state?

Answer 19

non-ionizing photons

Question 20

what is the luminescence called when it is produced essentially only when the exciting radiation source is present?

Answer 20

fluorescence

Question 21

what is the luminescence called that continues for some time after the source of exciting radiation is removed?

Answer 21

phosphorescence

Question 22

what type LET does alpha have?

Answer 22

very high

Question 23

what is the rate at which energy is deposited by radiation along the track that it follows through matter?

Answer 23

LET (Linear Energy Transfer)

Question 24

what is used to compare ability of different types of radiation to produce biological effects?

Answer 24

RBE (Relative Biological Effectiveness)

Question 25

what is the penetrating ability, external hazard, and internal hazard of alpha?

Answer 25

1. low penetrating ability 2. no external hazard 3. significant internal hazard

Question 26

what are fundamentally electrons that are emitted from a nucleus?

Answer 26

beta

Question 27

what is the penetrating ability, external hazard, and internal hazard of beta?

Answer 27

1. variable penetrating but relatively easy to shield 2. minimal to no external hazard from low energy (significant external hazard to shallow tissue depths from higher energy betas) 3. significant internal hazard

Question 28

what is the ejected electron (the ionizing particle) called?

Answer 28

conversion electron

Question 29

auger electrons are _____.

Answer 29

monoenergetic

Question 30

what results in two 0.511 MeV photons that travel in opposite directions from one another?

Answer 30

annihilation

Question 31

what concept does E = mc ^2 relate to?

Answer 31

Under appropriate conditions, mass can convert to energy, and vice-versa