The time taken to
produce one
complete wave
(seconds)
Amplitude?
The amount of energy carried by a wave
(measured from the mid point to peak or
trough)
Diffraction?
When a wave meets an obstacle and bends to some extent.
Refraction?
change in speed of light as it
travels from one material to
another
Angle of incidence- between the ray that is entering material and
the normal. Angle of refraction- between ray in material and normal.
Critical angle- when one ray is parallel to material the le between
other ray and normal
In more dense materials light refracts towards normal.
In less dense materials light refracts away from normal
Radioactivity
When is an element radioactive?
When an elements mass number becomes too large its proton-neutron ratio
falls out of the band of stability. It begins to emit radiation in order to become
stable again
Alpha
Helium nucleus- 2 protons 2
neutrons -very ionising
-absorbed by paper, skin or
a few cm of air
Polonium-210 used in smoke alrms
Beta
fast moving electron- ionising -absorbed by few cm of aluminium
Strontium-90 used for thickness control
Gamma
EM wave- least ionising- passes
through body -absorbed by several cm
of lead
Cobalt-60 killing cancer cells
ionisation?
when an
atom looses
or gains
electrons to
become
charged
Activity= the
number of
radioactive
decays each
second (Bq)
Background Radiation
Natural?
Rocks Food
Cosmic Rays
Artificial?
Medical treatments
Nuclear waste
Weapons testing
Half-life
the time taken for half the nuclei
in a radioactive source to decay
Precautions
USe tongs, wear gloves, wash hands
nuclear...
fisson
bombarding
a uranium
atom with a
slow neuron
producing
two or more
smaller
atoms, fast
neutrons,
and energy
fusion
joining two small nuclei to form
a larger nucleus releasing a
large amount of energy and no
radioactive waste. takes place
in sun and stars
Dosimetry
Damage done to tissue depends on...
Type of tissue type of
radiation and amount of
energy/radiation
Absorbed Dose
the energy absorbed per unit mass
can reduce it by- shielding, increasing d from
source and limiting time with source
Equivalent dose
the bio harm caused by radiation
We need to measure
the rate of this to
prevent people from
experiencing too much
exposure in a short
period of time