Radioactivity and Particles Flashcards
(38 cards)
What does the nucleus of an atom contain?
protons and neutrons
What is the charge of electrons?
negative
What do electrons do?
Whizz around the outside of the atom
What is the number of protons in the nucleus called?
The atomic number/proton number
The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus is called…
The mass number
What are isotopes?
Atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons
Name an unstable isotope of carbon
Carbon-14
When do the nuclei of unstable isotopes break down?
at random, spontaneously in its own good time
Do factors such as temperature affect the decay?
no
Sources of background radiation
substances on earth i.e food, building materials, soil, rocks
space (cosmic rays)
living things
human activity i.e nuclear waste and nuclear explosions
What does nuclear radiation cause?
ionisation
How does nuclear radian cause ionisation?
By bashing into atoms and knocking electrons off them
The further the radiation can penetrate before hitting an atom and getting stopped…
the less damaging it will do along the way and so the less ionising it is
What are Alpha particles made up of?
2 protons
2 neutrons
What are Alpha particles like?
big
heavy
slow moving
Are alpha particles stopped easily?
yes
Why do alpha particles create lots of ions?
Because of their size they are strongly ionising
How can we detect ionising radiation?
With photographic film or a Gieger-Muller detector
What charge are Alpha Particles?
positive
What are Alpha particles deflected by?
electric and magnetic fields
What happens to the nucleus of an Alpha particle when you emit one?
decreases the atomic number of the nucleus by 2 and the mass number by 4
Name the three kinds of radioactivity
Alpha
Beta
Gamma
What are Alpha Particles?
Helium Nuclei
What are Beta particles?
Electrons
