Unit 2 physics

Alpha

A highly energetic helium nucleus, containing 2 protons and 2 neutrons VERY IONISING, LOW PENITRATION. charge = +2

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Beta

Particle - A highly energetic electron, released from inside a nucleus. .Charge = -1

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Gamma

Wave - from the high frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum. Waves have no mass. WEAKLY IONISING. VERY PENETRATING. NO charge

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Radioactive decay

Unstable nuclei split up in a process called radioactive decay and emit radioactive radiation.

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Background radiation

Is around us all the time from radioactive substances in the environment, or from space, or devices.

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what radiation is stopped by paper?

alpha radiation

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what radiation is stopped by lead?

gamma radiation

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Half life

the half life of a radioactive isotope is the average time it takes for the number of nuclei in a sample to halve

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what are beta sources used for?

beta is used for thickness monitoring in the maufacture of things. This source needs a half life of many years. beta can also be used as tracers in medicine, it can be placed into the patient and detected outside the patient.

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Radioactive dating

is used to find the age of acient material.

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Carbon dating

is used to find the age of wood and other organic material

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uranium dating

is used to find the age of igneous rocks

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what is the effect of pressure on radioactive decay?

it has no effect

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What was Rutherford's alpha particle scattering experiment?

firing alpha particles into thin metal foil

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what happens to the mass number of a nucleus when it emits an alpha particle?

it goes up by 4

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Get Revising

Unit 2 physics

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