radiation

Question 1

a word to describe decay

Answer 1

random

Question 2

how can an atom become more stable overtime

Answer 2

by randomly (spontaneously) emitting ionising radiation

Question 3

what are the three types of radiation

Answer 3

gamma
alpha
beta

Question 4

what does alpha radiation release

Answer 4

helium nuclei

Question 5

what does beta radiation release

Answer 5

electrons

Question 6

what is gamma radiation

Answer 6

a high-energy electromagnetic wave

Question 7

what are the three main ways of detecting radioactive activity

Answer 7

cloud chamber
photographic film
geiger counter

Question 8

what is a cloud chamber

Answer 8

a container full of air containing alcohol vapour
The alcohol vapour condenses on the ionised air molecules, showing the trail of radiation.

Question 9

what is photographic film

Answer 9

a bright stop appears whenever the radiation hits the film

Question 10

examples of things that emit radiation

Answer 10

rocks
the sun
radon
food

Question 11

what does an alpha particle contain

Answer 11

2 protons
2 neutrons

Question 12

what are the properties of alpha

Answer 12

does alot of damage but stopped by small amounts of matter

Question 13

what are the properties of gamma

Answer 13

weakly ionising
less damage but stopped by larger amounts of mass

Question 14

what are the properties of beta

Answer 14

middle ionising
high energy electrons
pass through paper but not foil

Question 15

how does a smoke detector work

Answer 15

A radioactive material fires alpha particles at a smoke detector.
If there is smoke between the radioactive material and the smoke detector, then fewer alpha particles will reach the d

Question 16

what can beta radiation be used for

Answer 16

paper production

Question 17

what can gamma radiation be used for`

Answer 17

medical sterilization

Question 18

what is nuclear fission

Answer 18

splits 1 nucleus into 2 or more smaller nuclei.

Question 19

hat is the process of nuxlear fusion

Answer 19

A neutron collides with a large nucleus and is absorbed. This creates an unstable nucleus.
This nucleus then splits into fragments. This releases large amounts of energy and more neutrons. These neutrons can then collide with other nuclei.

Question 20

what creates an unstable nucleus

Answer 20

A neutron collides with a large nucleus and is absorbed.

Question 21

what happens if nuclear fission is not controlled

Answer 21

the rate of nuclear fission speeds up
a chain reaction where each stage of fission produces more and more energy

Question 22

what is nuclear fusion

Answer 22

fuses (joins) 2 smaller nuclei to create 1 larger nucleus. Creating this larger nucleus releases energy.

Question 23

what form of decay doesnt create a new element

Answer 23

gamma

Question 24

what rules must be followed when writing decay equations

Answer 24

the sum of the atomic numbers must be equal
the sum of the mass numbers must also be equal

Question 25

how many protons and neutrons are lost in alpha decay

Answer 25

2 pro 2 neut

Question 26

what stays the same in nuclear fission

Answer 26

num of protons

Question 27

how many nucleons are released in nuc fission

Answer 27

4

Question 28

what happens in beta decay - equ

Answer 28

1 electron is carried away nitrogen is formed number of nucleons stays the same

Question 29

what happens in gamma rays

Answer 29

nothing

Question 30

what occurs in beta decay

Answer 30

a neutron in the nucleus decays to form a proton and an electron - which is then ejected

Question 31

what occurs in alpha decay

Answer 31

it looses 2 protons so it becomes a new element

Question 32

what occurs in gamma decay

Answer 32

nucleus relaxes and goes into a state of lower energy

Question 33

what is half life

Answer 33

the average time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei to halve.

Question 34

what is the activity of a radio active substance measured in

Answer 34

Becquerels (Bq)

Question 35

what are ions

Answer 35

particles that become charged by gaining or losing electrons.

Question 36

what is bad abt ions

Answer 36

they damage cells

Question 37

what are the safety precautions of radiation

Answer 37

storage reduced exposure usage handling

Question 38

what is contamination

Answer 38

radioactive substances occur from inside something. Irradiation is when something is exposed to radiation on its outside.

Question 39

what is irradiation

Answer 39

When something is exposed to radiation on its outside.

Question 40

what are the different types of contamination

Answer 40

beta alpha gamma

Question 41

what is beta contamination

Answer 41

not very harmful and can pass out the bdy

Question 42

what is alpha contamination

Answer 42

most dangerous cant pass through the body cancer

Question 43

what is gamma contamination

Answer 43

least harmful most penetrative