B8.2 Radioactive Materials
Radiation is the emission or transfer of energy, as waves or particles, through the air or other substances. A natural source of radiation is the sun. An example of a man-made source of radiation is an X-ray.
| Types of Radiation | |
| Non-ionising radiation | Ionising Radiation |
| Does not produce ionization in matter. | Produces ionization in matter. |
| E.g. UV and Infrared. | E.g. alpha particles, gamma rays and x-rays. |
| When they pass through the tissues of the body they do not have sufficient energy to damage the DNA directly. | When they pass through the tissues of the body they do have sufficient energy to damage the DNA directly. |
All matter on earth is made up of atoms. Each atom has a nucleus. In some types of atom, this nucleus is unstable and will decay into a more stable atom. This is radioactive decay.
Simple Atom Structure:
Source: http://www.frankswebspace.org.uk/ScienceAndMaths/chemistry/atomsAndElements.htm
When an unstable nucleus decays, there are three ways that it can do so. It may emit:
According to the Environment Agency, over 4,000 organisations use radioactive materials. These uses include:
- Diagnosing and treating disease.
- Controlling industrial processes.
- Preventing static electricity.
- Industrial radiography.
- Scientific research.