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Physics (GCSE) Revision (Radioactivity)

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
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Some substances give out radiation all the time, whatever is done to them. They are said to be . . .   radioactive.   show
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There are three types of radiation emitted by radioactive sources . . .   alpha, beta and gamma.   show
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Alpha radiation is easily absorbed by . . .   show They are easily stopped by your skin or clothing.  
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show helium nuclei.   2 protons plus 2 neutrons.  
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Beta particles are actually . . .   electrons.   show
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Gamma rays are . . .   show It has very short wavelength and travels at the same speed as light.  
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show a few mm of metal.   Aluminium will absorb them but lead is better.  
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Gamma rays are very penetrating and can only be absorbed by . . .   many cm of lead or metres of concrete.   show
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There are radioactive substances all around us, particularly in . . .   the ground, air, in building materials and food. It is known as background radiation.   show
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Radiation which reaches us from space is known as . . .   show They are produced in supernova explosions.  
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When radiation from radioactive materials collides with neutral atoms or molecules, they may become . . .   ionised (charged)   show
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show cancer.   The larger the dose, the greater the risk.  
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Higher doses of radiation are used to . . .   kill cancer cells and harmful micro-organisms.   show
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show absorbed.   The greater the thickness, the more is absorbed.  
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The absorption of radiation can be used to . . .   monitor or control the thickness of materials.   show
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When sources of radiation are outside the body, which types are most dangerous?   Beta and gamma   show
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Outside the body, which type of radiation is least dangerous?   show because it cannot penetrate the outer layers of clothing or skin.  
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Workers who are at risk from radiation wear a film badge. Why?   If the film turns black when developed, they have been exposed to too much radiation.   show
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When sources of radiation are inside the body, which are most dangerous?   Alpha   show
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show Beta and gamma   because they can escape the body and are less likely to be absorbed.  
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The half life of a radioactive substance is . . .   the time taken for half the number of radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.   show
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The half life of a substance can also be . . .   show The rate of decay is proportional to the number of radioactive atoms in a sample.  
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The nucleus which emits radiation is referred to as a parent. What is its decay product called?   show That's politically correct at least!  
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Radioactive isotopes are used as tracers. What is a tracer?   A substance which is introduced into a person or a water supply to monitor the movement of blood or water through the system.   show
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show Gamma   because it is not easily absorbed by the cells and will cause little damage.  
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Atoms have a small nucleus made up of . . .   protons and neutrons   show
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Electrons are negatively charged and are usually found . . .   show They are NOT like planets going around the Sun !  
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show To fire alpha particles at a sheet of gold foil.   Why gold foil ? (The foil can be made very thin so that the alpha particles only made single collisions with gold atoms.)  
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What did Rutherford's experiment prove?   The nucleus is tiny, very massive and positively charged.   show
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In Rutherford's experiment, what were the main observations?   show Like a cannonball reflecting from tissue paper !  
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All atoms of the same element have the same number of . . .   Protons   show
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In a neutral atom, there must be the same number of . . .   show Now I care !  
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Isotopes are . . .   atoms of the same element which have different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus.   show
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The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom is called its . . .   mass or nucleon number.   show
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Radioactivity occurs because of . . .   show Electrons are NOT involved in nuclear Physics.  
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show radioisotopes or radionuclides   They have UNSTABLE nuclei which split up and emit radiation.  
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When an unstable nucleus decays it . . .   becomes a different nucleus with a different number of protons and neutrons.   show
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When a gamma ray is emitted by a radioactive nucleus . . .   show Gamma rays have no mass or charge - they just carry energy away from the nucleus.  
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Alpha decay results in the nucleus losing . . .   show An alpha particle is just a helium nucleus - they exist inside heavy nuclei in clusters.  
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show a neutron changes into a proton - it emits an electron which takes away negative charge.   Bit like a sex change !  
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show the less radiation it emits.   Can be used to date materials and rocks.  
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show nuclear fission.   A heavy nucleus (uranium) absorbs a slow neutron and splits ( fissions) into two lighter nuclei plus neutrons.  
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show they are hard to dispose of properly.   They must be stored carefully for hundreds of years.  
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The energy released during nuclear fission is . . .   very large compared with chemical reactions.   show
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Uranium isotopes which have a long half life, decay by a series of short-lived isotopes to produce . . .   show Lead has more stable isotopes than any other element.  
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The age of a rock can be found by comparing . . .   show Igneous rock can be dated this way because its initial composition is fixed when it solidifies from lava. After this radioactive minerals start to decay - the clock is ticking.  
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show its stable decay product argon is unable to escape from the rock.   Apply the idea of half life to the ratio of what remains to what was there initially.  
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show Two half lives   because only 1/4 of the original potassium remains.  
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Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon-12. How is it used?   show Living things breathe in C14 while alive, but after death the C14 decays to Nitrogen.  
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How much of radioactive material X remains after 3 half lives   show 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/8  
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Created by: J Thomson
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