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Name two natural sources of background radiation
- rocks
- radon
- cosmic rays from space
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Name two man-made sources of background radiation
- nuclear accidents
- nuclear weapons tests
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What is the unit of radioactive activity?
Becquerel (Bq)
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Name an advantage of nuclear power
No carbon dioxide emissions
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Name some disadvantages of nuclear power
- Nuclear waste can stay radioactive for thousands of years
- Radiation leaks can be very dangerous
- Storing nuclear waste is difficult and expensive
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Which type of radiation is used in smoke detectors?
Alpha particles
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Which sort of radiation is used to measure paper thickness?
Beta particles
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Which sort of radiation is used as a tracer in medical applications?
Gamma rays
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Which sort of radiation is used to detect cracks in pipes and other metal structures?
Gamma rays
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What is the half-life of a radioactive isotope?
- The time taken for the number of radioactive nuclei in a sample to halve, or, the time taken for the decay count rate to halve. (These give the same number)
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Name 3 ways in which radioactive waste could be disposed of.
- Any 3 of:
- inside bore-holes in solid rock,
- at sea in special containers,
- bury under the seabed,
- launch it into space,
- at the edge of tectonic plates so that it is dragged into the Earth's mantle
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Name 3 ways that workers using radiation protect themselves against exposure
- Take care to keep exposure to a minimum
- Use lead screens where possible (eg taking x-rays)
- Wear radiation badges (to monitor the radiation)
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What is the main health problem that exposure to radiation to cause?
Cancer
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