Flashcards
OCR Gateway P2e
Cards in this deck (11)
- 1P2e - Nuclear Radiations
- 2IonisationAtoms contain the same number of protons and electrons - this means they are neutral.
Ionisation involves gaining or losing electrons.
-When the atom gains electrons, it becomes negatively charged
-When the atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged. - 3Properties of ionising radiationsNuclear radiation comes from the nucleus of an atom. Substances that give out radiation are said to be radioactive. There are three types of nuclear radiation: alpha, beta gamma.
- 4Continue...-Alpha radiation causes the most ionisation and gamma radiation the least.
-Alpha radiation is short ranged and is easily absorbed by a sheet of paper.
-Beta radiation can penetrate air and paper, but is stopped by a few millimetres of aluminium.
-Gamma radiation can only be stopped by a few centimetres of lead, or many metres of concrete. - 5Uses of radiationNuclear radiation ionises materials, and this changes atoms or molecules into charged particles.
- Positive ions are formed when electrons are lost.
- Negative ions are formed when electrons are gained. - 6Uses of Alpha RadiationIonisation is useful for smoke detectors. Radioactive americium releases alpha radiation, which ionises the air inside the detector. Smoke from a fire absorbs alpha radiation, altering the ionisation and triggering the alarm.
- 7Uses of beta radiationBeta radiation is used to monitor the thickness of materials such as paper, plastic and aluminium. The thicker the material, the more radiation is absorbed and the less radiation reaches the detector. It then sends signals to the equipment that adjusts the thickness of the material.
- 8Uses of gamma radiationGamma radiation is used in the treatment of cancer, testing equipment and sterilising medical instruments.
- 9Handling radioactive materialsgreat care is needed when handling radioactive materials. Precautions include:
- wearing protective clothing
- keeping as far away as is practicable - for example, by using tongs
- keeping your exposure time as short as possible
- keeping radioactive materials in lead-lined containers, labelled with the appropriate hazard symbol. - 10Nuclear WastePlutonium is a waste product from nuclear reactors which can be used to make nuclear bombs.
Some low level radioactive waste can be buried in landfill sites.
Radioactive waste can remain radioactive for thousands of years. - 11Advantages and disadvantagesUnlike fossil fuels, nuclear fuels do not produce carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide.
Like fossil fuels, nuclear fuels are non-renewable energy resources. If there is an accident or a terrorist attack, large amounts of radioactive material could be released into the environment. In addition, nuclear waste remains radioactive and is hazardous to health for thousands of years. It must be stored safely.
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- Flashcards on OCR Gateway P2e, created by Zaaaara on 24/05/2014.
- Created by
- Zaaaara · May 2014
- Updated
- Feb 19, 2016
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