P6 Radioactive Materials

P6 Radioactive materials.
. Understand what ionising radiation is, the uses and dangers of it and how it can be used to produce electrical energy.
Radioactive materials
Recap of the atom:
Nucleus in the centre, contains protons and neutrons. Electrons are in constant motion outside the nucleus in shells. Electrons can be lost or gained which turns the atom into an ion with a positive (lost) or negative (gained) charge.
P6 Radioactive materials. Understand what ionising radiation is, the uses and dangers of it and how it can be used to produce electrical energy.
The mass of an atom is found in its nucleus. Protons and neutrons each have a mass of 1. Electrons have almost no mass (negligible). Protons have a positive charge (+ve) Neutrons are neutral Electrons have a negative charge (-ve)
If a nucleus was scaled up to the size of a pea, the electrons would be moving around it a kilometre away.
Particle Electron Proton Neutron Mass Charge
A grain of sand weighs 0.0026g. How many atoms are in a grain of sand? 78 000 000 000 000 000 000
How can protons (with a positive charge) all inhabit the same tiny nucleus without repelling each other? Nuclear force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf 8iE In 1909 Marsden and Rutherford discovered that:
The atom was mostly empty space. There is a concentration of mass and positive charge at the centre of the atom.
Isotopes Two atoms of the same element can have a different number of NEUTRONS. These are isotopes. Eg Hydrogen always has one proton.
Recap questions: A uranium atom has 92 protons in its nucleus. How many electrons does it have? Oxygen has 3 stable isotopes 16O, 17O and 18O. Oxygen has 8 protons. What is the other particle in the nucleus, and how many are there in each of these isotopes? What is the difference between an atom and an ion?
Lesson 2 Ionising radiation and its sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dKFs2lD gZs What is ionising radiation?
Ionising radiation is when energy hits an atom and knocks an electron off the atom, turning it into an ion. Remember: Ions are atoms that have gained or lost an electron
Marie Curie first isolated Polonium, Uranium and Radium. She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize and is the only person to have won Nobel prizes in both Physics and Chemistry (1903 & 1911)
There is always background radiation This means that there is low level radiation surrounding us now. Where does it come from?
Some from outer space (cosmic rays) Most from rocks and soil A small amount from human activity
Rocks are used to build with our buildings may emit some radiation. Plants absorb some radiation from the soil we may eat these plants. Granite releases radon gas if your house is built with granite you may be exposed to more radon. Airplane travel exposes you to more cosmic rays.
We measure radiation with a geiger counter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8wKbps w-OE
3 types of ionising radiation Alpha particles () Beta particles () Gamma waves ()
Were going to learn about each of these in detail
What is an alpha particle? 2 protons + 2 neutrons = helium nucleus Emitted from the nucleus of an atom
What is its mass? What is its charge?
Alpha particles are heavy and slow In air they can only travel about 1cm They are highly ionising easily knock electrons off atoms They can be stopped by a sheet of paper or your skin.
Uses of alpha radiation Americium-241
When Radon emits an alpha particle, what happens?
Is alpha radiation dangerous? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8wKbpswOE
Beta particles These are electrons They come from the nucleus Electrons? That come from the nucleus?! It is a decaying neutron which forms a proton and an electron
Beta particles are electrons and therefore are much lighter than alpha particles. They move very fast and can penetrate skin. They can be stopped by an aluminium sheet 3mm thick. They are not as ionising as alpha particles
If magnesium undergoes beta decay, what does it become?
Gamma rays/waves Not a particle, this is a wave!
Gamma Very short wavelength Have no charge cannot be deflected by electricity or magnetism They pass through most things needs thick lead to stop them The are weakly ionising, but when they do hit something they will knock an electron off.
Gamma radiation does not change one element into another When an atom gives off a gamma ray, it has less energy and becomes more stable
Gamma radiation can cure and cause cancer how?
Gamma radiation can be used to sterilise food and medical equipment.
Compare alpha, beta and gamma
What they are made of What happens to the atom they come from How penetrating they are How ionising they are Their uses Their danger
Use the books to gather as much info as possible.
Take a post it note and stick it to your work. Have a look at other peoples work and comment on their work if you think they have forgotten to include something, or if they have added something good.
Lesson 3 Nuclear energy
There are 2 ways in which we can release energy from single atoms. Fusion joining 2 small atoms Fission Splitting a large atom (this one is used in nuclear power stations)
Fission splitting power stations
Radioactive waste Once the uranium rods are not useful in a power station any more they need to be disposed of. They are still radioactive and will continue to be for a very long time.
Used (spent) fuel rods are high-level waste. They are mixed with molten glass and stored in steel drums which are then encased in concrete. These large concrete blocks are then buried underground or in remote areas above ground.
Fukushima after 2011 tsunami
Nuclear fusion not currently a viable way to produce energy Involves the fusion of two atoms both are isotopes of hydrogen.
Fusion is the reaction which happens inside the sun, and all stars. The reaction takes place under immense pressure and at extremely high heat. (>10,000,000 degrees K) It then gives off enough heat energy to keep the reaction going.
Deuterium and a tritium nuclei are positively charged and therefore will repel each other. This is known as electrostatic repulsion. The nuclei have to get very close in order to collide, which is approximately a 0.000 000 000 001mm. If the nuclei are moving very fast then they can overcome the electrostatic repulsion. The hotter a molecule is, the faster it will move and the more likely it is to collide. For a nuclear fusion reactor to work, the temperature and pressure would each have to be very high. These extremely high temperatures and pressures are very difficult to reproduce and are very expensive. As a result, fusion as an energy source is a long way off.
Are the by products of fusion radioactive? No Does fusion contribute to CO2 in the atmosphere? No
More energy per kg than fossil fuels Fuel will last for millions of years
Half life
The half life is the time taken for half the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay. What do we mean by decay? It gives off some ionising radiation. Does the half life depend on how big your sample is? No Does it mean that half your sample has disappeared? No
Why does radioactive decay follow this pattern? Radioactive decay is random For each atom it can happen at any time immediately, or in millions of years. Remember that there are 78 000 000 000 000 000 000 atoms in a tiny grain of sand? This means that a piece of radioactive material that small will at some point release 78 000 000 000 000 000 000 bursts of radiation over time.
Since we cant measure the entire lifetime of how long it takes a piece of radioactive material to have every last atom decayed, we use half-life. ie the time taken for half the atoms in the sample to decay. Half life varies for different substances
Investigation page 266-7
Recap questions: Describe how ionising radiation may cause cancer. Why is alpha radiation most harmful when it is a gas? Why are people who are exposed to lots of radiation monitored for many years? How can gamma radiation extend the shelf life of food? : why might a tumour show up on a brain scan when the person has been injected with a radioactive tracer?
Read pages 274-275 Identify the difference between hazard and risk Describe what we mean by contamination and explain how it can enter the food chain. Answer question 5
Higher tier only This is to find out the energy lost in the fusion reaction
E = mc2 E is the energy in joules M is mass in kgs C is a constant 3 x 108m/s (speed of light) Follow the equation on page 281
Activity 1 Page 284 - foundation do questions 1-4, higher do all questions. Use the book if necessary Activity 2 Use the checklist at the end of each chapter and write down what you are unsure of this will be your guide for revision Activity 3 Have a go at the past paper I can give you

P6 Radioactive Materials

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

P6 Radioactive Materials

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

P6 Radioactive materials.

Were going to learn about each of these in detail

What is its mass? What is its charge?

Is alpha radiation dangerous? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8wKbpswOE

You might also like