P6- Radioactive Materials

P6- Radioactive Materials

1. Chapter A - Radioactive

   • When Radiation was first discovered they didn't know it isonsing
     • They thought it was Healthy
     • However it isn't and can damage or kill living cells
     • Once they found out they banned it
   • Changes in the atom
     • Many elements have more than one type of atoms
     • Carbon Atoms can be radioactive and can be a part of coal, diamond or graphite
   • Radioactive deacy
     • Most carbon atoms will stay the same they are stable!
     • Example - A radioactive carbon will randomly give out energetic radiation. THEY WILL ONLY DO THIS ONE. The thing that is left is not carbon but a different element
       • This is change inside the atom
     • How does it become radioactive
       • The nucleus is unstable so the atom will decay to make it more stable. It emit energetic radition ( alpha tradition) and it will change
         • Alpha
           • Small, high speed, positive charge
             • A 4 and 2
             • Alpha particle is made up of 2 proton and 2 neutrons
         • Beta
           • Smaller , higher speed and negative Charge
             • B 0 and + 1
             • the electron is a beta particle
         • Gamma
           • Higher energy and electromagnet radition
           • during alpha decay the nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons
           • no charge

2. Ernest Rutherfield

   • He was the man who made up the solar system of Atom in 1910
     • He made a suitable expirement with the help of geiger.
       • He used a thin piece of gold as this could be rolled thin. He then directed a source of alpha directly at foil. This was all done in a vacuum chamber.and watches for flashes of light. They did this all night see how much was deflected
         • They did this in a chamber so the light wouldn't get absorbed
   • Results
     • Most passed straight through although some where deflected of only a few degrees
       • Small few were reflected back

3. he released that there was something with a positive charge repelling the alpha particles and have the same mass

4. isotope

   • To describe different different atoms in the same element

5. Alpha, beta and gamma

   • Alpha
     • alpha particles are much heavier than beta and when react with air they slow down
       • they can gain electron and become helium
         • they are stopped easily
   • BETA
     • fast moving
       • thy travel further in air and are less isosing
         • when they slow down they are like any other electron
   • gamma
     • after beta particles, proton and neutron are in the new nucleus they rerange them self into low energy state
       • when this happens the gamma ray are emitted this doesn't cause a change in element

6. Sterilistation

   • ionising tradition can kill bacteria. Gamma radiation is used for sterilising surgical instrument. They things are sealed from air and then exposed to radiation
   • irradition is oermitted in uk for herbs and spices but will say on the bottle

7. Irradition

   • is exposed to external sources of radiation
   • Contamination
     • to have radioactive material inside you or body cells

8. radiation protection

   • to reduce there dose they must use protective clothing and screens and wear gloves |+ aprons
     • special devices to moniter there dose. this will keep them track of there exposure

9. Radon Gas

   • miner over 400 years ago contained high amount of radon gases which was radioactive and damaged cells
   • they had studied it had gotten into our homes. it was less concerted in houses which had there windows opened a lot

10. Half life

    • the time taken for the amount of a radioactive sample to half its original value
      • The shorter the half life the greater the activity for the same amount material

11. Radio Active treatmentt

    • Capsule to swallow and you can't eat or drink anything for couple of hours. You will have to stay in your own room and have to take many precautions. You would also have to keep flushing the toilet as gamma rays will come out in your pee!!
      • Any remaining cells will be killed by radiation

12. Nuclear power

    • Radio active atoms are unstable and can spilt into two with the process nuclear fission
      • E= MC
        • E - ENGERY PRODUCED
          • M - CHANGE IN MASS
            • C - SPEED OF LIGHT
              • taking rod in and out will slow doen the reaction
      • energy is transferred to the fission so they have a lot of keltic energy
        • Each fission can set off another

13. Long term Hazards

    • there is not much in the uk as if it affected the water it could irradiate our external organs
      • HLW - hot and has to be stored carefully as there isn't much left
      • ILW -less radioactive but the amount is increasing
      • LLW - protective clothing and loads is used to stop leaking
    • Sellafields
      • biggest nuclear site in uk and risk management was a manager concern. ilw was the biggest problem
      • Long term option has to be secure