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GCSE Physics > P5 - Radioactivity > Flashcards

P5 - Radioactivity Flashcards

1
Q

What did Dalton believe about the atom

A

Everything was made up of solid balls, with different balls for different elements

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2
Q

What did Thomson discover about the atom

A

The existence of electrons

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3
Q

What did Rutherford discover

A

Suggested the idea of a positive nucleus, and believed the negative charge surrounded the nucleus

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4
Q

What did Bohr discover

A

That electrons orbit the nucleus, and are held in shells

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5
Q

How did Rutherford discover the nucleus

A

Fired alpha particles at a sheet of gold

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6
Q

What number is on top of the element symbol (physics)

A

Mass number

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7
Q

Where is the atomic number (in physics)

A

On the bottom

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8
Q

Same number of electrons as

A

Protons

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9
Q

What can happen to unstable isotopes

A

They can decay into other elements

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10
Q

What are alpha particles made up of

A

2 protons and 2 neutrons

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11
Q

What is the overall charge of an alpha particle

A

2+

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12
Q

Why are alpha particles easily absorbed

A

Because they are so large, they are easily stopped by collisions with other molecules

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13
Q

Are alpha particles strongly ionising

A

Yes

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14
Q

What are beta particles made from

A

An electron

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15
Q

What is the charge of a beta particle

A

-1

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16
Q

How are beta particles formed

A

When a nucleus decays into a proton and an electron

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17
Q

Why do beta particles penetrate moderately far into materials

A

because they are so small

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18
Q

How ionising are beta particles

A

Moderately

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19
Q

What would stop a beta particle

A

5mm of aluminium

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20
Q

What does it mean if an object is radioactive

A

It contains unstable isotopes

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21
Q

What are the 4 types of radiation emmited by an isotope

A

Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and the emission of a neutron

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22
Q

What is gamma radiation

A

Electromagnetic waves

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23
Q

Why is gamma radiation weakly ionising

A

Because it has no mass or charge

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24
Q

How far can gamma rays travel

A

thick sheets of lead needed to stop them

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25
What is the emission of a neutron
If a nucleus has too many neutrons, it can emit a neutron to stabilize
26
How do you write an alpha particle (for a nuclear equation)
4 He 2
27
What does a isotope lose if it emits an alpha particle
4 from the mass number 2 from the atomic number
28
What is a nuclear equation for alpha decay
Old element (+ mass and atomic no.) -----> He (4 , 2) + New element (-4 from mass - 2 from atomic)
29
What is beta decay
Involves a neutron turning into a proton and emitting a fast moving electron
30
What is the nuclear equation for beta decay
Element ---> New element (plus 1 atomic number) + electron
31
What gets added to the atom when beta decay occurs
Atomic number adds 1, as a proton has been made
32
How do u write an electron for beta decay formula
0 e -1
33
What gets added in gamma radiation formula
Fancy Y, nothing else
34
What gets added in the equation for neutron emission
1 gets removed from the mass number, and the atomic number stays the same
35
What is neutron emission equation
Element ---> same element-1mass + neutron
36
Can the decay of any given isotope be predicted?
No, it is completely random
37
What is the activity of a sample
The overall rate of decay
38
What is a Becquerel a measurement of
Radioactive decay
39
What is the symbol for Becquerels
Bq
40
What is 1 Bq
1 decaying isotope per second
41
What is half life
Time taken for number of radioactive isotopes in a sample to halve Time taken for activity of a sample to halve
42
Why does activity decrease the more nuclei decay?
Because there are less remaining nuclei to decay, so the process slows
43
How do u calculate the half life on a activity, time graph
Work out how long it took for the activity to halve
44
How do you find the activity of a sample
Use a geiger counter
45
How do geiger counters calculate the activity of a sample
They record all the decays that reach them per second
46
What is the count rate
The amount of decays a geiger counter receives per second
47
What does irradiation mean
The process by which objects are exposed to any type of radiation (ionising or non)
48
What is contamination
When radioactive particles get on the surface of other objects.
49
Why can contamination be dangerous
Because if the particles decay, you can be subjected to harmful radiation
50
What 3 factors determine the danger of radiation
Type of radiation Location on body of exposure Amount of radiation you receive
51
Why is ionising radiation dangerous
Because it can ionise your DNA and cause mutation or cancer
52
What is the only non-ionising radiation that can cause cancer
Ultraviolent radiation
53
If the source is outside the body, what is the order of danger in radioactive particles
Beta, (most) Gamma, Alpha (least)
54
If the source is on or in the body, what is the order of danger in radioactive particles
Alpha, (most) Beta, Gamma (least)
55
What is the amount of radiation received called
Dosage
56
What 3 factors can reduce the dosage of radiation
Distance from source Length of exposure Radioactivity of sourcef
57
How can you protect against dangers caused by radiation
Wear protective gear Handle substances with tongs Keep substance in lead lined box
58
What can happen to cells if they receive a large enough dosage of radiation
Cells can be killed
59
What causes radiation sickness
Large scale death of cells, caused by radiation exposure
60
What are some symptoms of radiation sickness
Hair loss, Vomiting, Tiredness
61
What two ways can radiation be used to kill cancer cells
Externally or Internally
62
What is external cancer treatment
Gamma rays target cancer site, from many different angles
63
What is internal cancer treatment
Radioactive source is placed inside the body, either in or next to the cancer source.
64
What type of radiation is used for internal cancer treatement
Beta particles
65
What is a medial tracer
Placing a radioactive isotope in a person's body by ingestion or injection, we can track its movement and check if particular organs are working properly.
66
What type of radiation is used in medical tracers
Gamma, as it is the least harmful
67
What kind of half life do the isotopes used in medical tracers have
The shortest possible, only emitting radiation while they are being measured
68
What is nuclear fission
The splitting of a large, unstable nuclei
69
What are the 2 types of fission
Spontaneous fission, and fission by absorbing a neutron
70
What is spontaneous fission
Fission which happens by itself, unforced
71
Which type of fission is rare
Spontaneous fission
72
What is the other type of fission
Absorbing a neutron into an atom makes it even more unstable, which gets the process of fission started
73
What is the process of fission (chain reaction)
Fire a slow moving nuclei at a large unstable isotope, which makes it more unstable, and causes it to split into 2 daughter nuclei, as well as releasing a few more neutrons and LOTS of energy in the form of gamma radiation. These neutrons then hit more isotopes and repeat the process of fission.
74
What type of energy is given off during fission
Gamma radiation
75
Symbol for neutron
n
76
What does nuclear fission lead to
A chain reaction
77
What can happen if fission is not controlled
It can quickly get out of hand and release massive amounts of energy
78
How can you control the rate of fission in a nuclear power plant
By lowering control rods into the reactors, which absorb neutrons and therefore slow the fission down
79
What are the pros of nuclear power
Cheap fuel, Clean and steady energy
80
What are the cons of nuclear power
Power stations are pricey to build Nuclear waste is expensive to dispose of
81
What is fusion
2 light nuclei fuse to make one single larger nuclei.
81
What process fuels stars
Nuclear fusion
82
Why does fusion produce so much energy
Because during the process, some mass is lost from the nuclei (source: trust me bro) and E = MC^2 means lots of energy is released
83
How are all elements heavier than hydrogen made
Fusion
84
What is good about fusion
it makes NO nuclear waste, and hydrogen (the fuel) is very easy to access
85
What is the issue with fusion
It needs 10,000,000 degrees celsius of heat, and lots of pressure, so it is not yet possible on earth
86
What releases more energy per mass of fuel fission or fusion
fusion produces much more
87
What is the size of an atom
1x10^-10 m

GCSE Physics (8 decks)

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