Homework 01 Nuclear radiation & its biological effects

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_ uicklearn.asp! loc" l&topic_id"#& uicklearn_id"$&sub%ect_id"1&&ebt"$1'&ebn"&ebs"&ebl"&elc"( http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesi)e/ph*sics/radioacti+it*/backgroundradiationre+1.shtml

Read through the information below, then for each of the 10 questions Write the letter (A, B, C or D with the correct statement into !our homewor" boo"

#onising radiation
$%ra!s, gamma ra!s, al&ha &articles and beta &articles can all be described as ionising radiation. -hen the* collide with neutral atoms or molecules, these can become charged or ionised. #onisation of D'A molecules in li(ing cells, can cause cancer. .onised /N0 can no longer control cell di+ision 1 cells di+ide again and again until a cancerous tumour forms 0lpha, beta and gamma particles can be distinguished b* their abilit* to ionise atoms and molecules, and also b* their abilit* to penetrate materials 1

al&ha
increasingl* ionising

beta
increasingl* penetrating

gamma
2he following diagram shows what is needed to absorb the different t*pes of nuclear radiation 1
0lpha radiation 4eta radiation 5amma radiation
6topped b* paper 6topped b* aluminium 6topped b* thick lead

)a&er
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Aluminium

*ead

Bac"ground radiation
-e are continuall* e7posed to low le+els of radiation from natural sources, and from the result of human acti+ities. 6ources of this 8background radiation9 are 1 cosmic ra!s from the sun :these are partiall* absorbed b* the atmosphere 1 we are less protected at higher altitudes; some roc"s :eg. granite; contain uranium which deca*s to release radioacti+e radon gas, and also gamma ra*s our food medical techniques

Detecting radiation
<adioacti+e sources gi+e out radiation all the time, so the* must be stored +er* carefull*. .n schools, the* are stored in lead-lined containers, because lead is +er* dense and absorbs most of the radiation emitted. 0 +eiger counter is used to detect radiation from a radioacti+e source. 2he 5eiger counter consists of a tube of argon gas. =ach time an argon atom is ionised, a pulse of current flows around a circuit and increases the reading on a counter

Biological effects of ionising radiation

dose high :eg. accident; 1 whole bod* e7posed high 1 to limited area of skin low short term death reddening no effect long term > possible cancer possible cancer

Al&ha &articles cause us no harm when the* are outside the bod*, because the* can9t penetrate our outer la*ers of dead skin. .f the* are taken inside the bod* :eg. into the lungs;, the* can be +er* damaging. Beta &articles and gamma ra!s are more harmful, because the* can penetrate the skin.

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,1 A - #onising radiation collides with neutral atoms or molecules, and these can then become charged or ionised. Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s are all ionising B - When radiation collides with ions, it is called ionising radiation C - Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s are all ionising, because the! all collide with atoms, which then form ions. /icrowa(es are also strongl! ionising D - Radio wa(es and infrared are both ionising radiation. 0he! are both more dangerous to our health than gamma ra!s ,1 A - When D'A molecules in li(ing cells become ionised, the! sto& the cells di(iding. 0his can lead to cancer B - When D'A is caused to di(ide in a controlled wa!, a cancerous tumour starts to form C - When D'A molecules are &re(ented from ionising, cancer ma! result D - When D'A molecules in li(ing cells become ionised, the! cause the cells to di(ide, uncontrollabl!. 2ncontrolled cell di(ision &roduces a cancerous tumour ,3 A - Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s are all ionising to 0he same e4tent B - Beta &articles are most ionising, followed b! al&ha &articles, with gamma ra!s being the least ionising C - Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s are all ionising to different e4tents. Al&ha &articles are most ionising, followed b! beta &articles, with gamma ra!s being the least ionising D - Beta &articles are most ionising, followed b! gamma ra!s, with al&ha &articles being the least ionising ,5 A > Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s all &enetrate materials to the same e4tent B - Al&ha &articles, beta &articles and gamma ra!s all &enetrate materials to different e4tents. +amma ra!s are most &enetrating, followed b! beta &articles, with al&ha &articles being the least &enetrating C - +amma ra!s are most &enetrating, followed b! al&ha &articles, with beta &articles being the least &enetrating D - Al&ha &articles are most &enetrating, followed b! gamma ra!s, with beta &articles being the least &enetrating ,6 A - Al&ha &articles can be absorbed b! a thin sheet of &a&er, beta &articles b! a few millimetres of aluminium, and gamma ra!s b! man! centimetres of lead B - Al&ha &articles can be absorbed b! a thin sheet of aluminium, beta &articles b! a few millimetres of &a&er, and gamma ra!s b! man! centimetres of lead C - Al&ha &articles can be absorbed b! a thin sheet of &a&er, beta &articles b! a few millimetres of lead, and gamma ra!s b! man! centimetres of aluminium D - *ead will absorb most t!&es of radiation, a&art from gamma ra!s

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,7 A - Bac"ground radiation is entirel! due to human acti(ities B - We are continuall! e4&osed to low le(els of radiation from natural sources, and from the result of human acti(ities. 0his radiation is called 8bac"ground radiation9 C - Bac"ground radiation is entirel! due to natural radioacti(e sources D - We are continuall! e4&osed to high le(els of radiation, which result from human acti(ities ,: A - Bac"ground radiation can come from the sun in the form of ra!s of (isible light, from some roc"s (eg. granite , from our food and also from the use of modern medical techniques B - Bac"ground radiation can come from the sun in the form of cosmic ra!s, from some roc"s (eg. limestone , from our food and also from the use of modern medical techniques C - Bac"ground radiation can come from the sun in the form of cosmic ra!s, from some roc"s (eg. granite , from our food and also from the use of modern medical techniques D - Bac"ground radiation can come from the sun in the form of cosmic ra!s, from some roc"s (eg. granite , from our food and also from the use of out%dated medical techniques ,; A - Radioacti(e sources are stored in a &a&er%lined containers, because &a&er absorbs most of the radiation emitted B - #n a school, a radioacti(e source will be stored in an aluminium%lined container, because lead absorbs most of the radiation emitted C - Radiation must be stored carefull!, but a lea" will be detected b! either an ammeter, or a (oltmeter D - #n a school, a radioacti(e source will be stored in a lead%lined container, because lead absorbs most of the radiation emitted. 0o detect radiation, we use a +eiger counter ,< A - =4&osing the whole bod! to a high dose of radiation, will result in a nast! headache B - =4&osing the whole bod! to a high dose of radiation, will result in death. A high dose to a limited area of s"in, will cause reddening similar to sunburn, with the &ossibilit! of cancer in the longer term C - =4&osing the whole bod! to a high dose of radiation, will result in death. A high dose to a limited area of s"in, will cause nothing worse than tem&orar! sunburn D - Cancer will result from e(en the smallest e4&osure to nuclear radiation ,10 A - Beta &articles don9t &enetrate the outer la!ers of dead s"in, but can be (er! damaging if ta"en inside the bod! B - Al&ha &articles are the most dangerous, as the! are most &enetrating C - Al&ha &articles don9t &enetrate the outer la!ers of dead s"in, but can be (er! damaging if ta"en inside the bod!. Beta &articles and gamma ra!s are more dangerous, because the! are more &enetrating D - +amma ra!s don9t &enetrate the outer la!ers of dead s"in, and so are the safest t!&e of radiation

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-hat is ioni)ing <adiation! .oni)ing radiation is a t*pe of radiation with enough energ* that it can strip electrons from their orbits in atoms and break an* chemical bonds, which creates highl* reacti+e ions. =7amples of ioni)ing radiation are @-ra*s, 5amma ra*s, 0lpha particles, and 4eta particles. Ane use for ioni)ing radiation is when somebod* recei+es an @-ra* in the hospital to see if the* ha+e a broken bone. 6tephen 6heed*

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