Radioactivity Flashcards
What is background radiation?
Low level radiation from all around us
Where does background radiation come from?
Space, cosmic rays from the sun
The earth - hospitals, building materials, air, rocks
What ways can you measure radioactivity
Geiger muller tube, clicks each time it detects radiation
Photographic film, more radiation it is exposed to the darker it gets.
How does radiation damage cells?
Radiation enters living cells and ionises molecules inside it.
If the dose is less, it can mutate the cell and cause cancer.
If the dose is too high, it can kill cells and cause radiation sickness.
Uses of radiation?
Smoke alarms
Tracers
Thickness gauge
Sterilisation of food and equipment
Diagnosis and treatment of cancer
How is radiation used in smoke alarms
Alpha particles cause a current to pass through the smoke detector. When smoke cuts it off, the current stops flowing and the alarm goes off.
Advantages of nuclear power
No carbon dioxide produced
Disadvantages
Negative public opinion
hard to dispose of nuclear waste
meltdown risk
What is nuclear fusion
creation of larger nuclei from smaller nuclei being forced together
What are the components of a nuclear reactor and what do they do?
Moderator - slows down neutrons so they can bind with the uranium atoms
Control rods - absorb excess neutrons. Can be raised and lowered to keep the levels of neutrons stable
Fuel rod - contains uranium
