Radiation

Define ionizing

A process that causes a molecule or atom, to gain an eletrical charge.

What determines if a certain radiation is ionizing or not?

A high level of energy indicates that the radiation is highly ionizing.

What are the types of radiation that are ioniing?

X-rays, gamma rays (waves at the top of the electromagnetic spectrum), beta radiation and alpha radiation.

Explain how the gold foil experiment was performed given the fact that alpha particles are ionizing.

The apparatus used in the gold foil experiment was in a vacuum chamber when the alpha particles were being fired at it. This permitted the alpha particles to knock electrons out from air particles (as it it ionizing). Which would’ve caused the air particles to become hydroxide ions/ free radicals which if scientists came into contact with that, then it would cause critical damage.

What are types of non-ionizing radiation

Microwaves, radio waves (waves on the low end of the electromagnetic spectrum), infrared waves and visible light.

Why is ionizing radiation damaging when in contact with biological tissues and cells?

This is because it is ionizing- meaning it has a high level of energy that is capable of breaking the forces of attraction between an atoms electrons and its nucleus. As a result of this, free radicals are formed as an atoms atomic structure has been altered. This disstorts the molecules in DNA within cells (inside the nucleus), leading to possible cell mutation via uneeded cell division which can develop into cancer. The free radicals enter the DNA structure by leeching into water within the cell via diffusion.

What is the radiation with the highest ionizing power, and why?

Alpha radiation. This is because alpha particles have the strongest electronic charge (positive, as they are made up of 2 protons and 2 neutrons).

What is the radiation with the weakest ionizing power, and why?

Gamma rays/electromagnetic waves. This is because these waves have no electronic charge, and therefore carry no mass or charge. Having no charge prevents electromagnetic waves such as gamma rays to strip electrons from atoms, and there is no electrostatic force of attraction between electrons and gamma rays. Also having no mass makes it pure energy rather then a physical particle.

What is the affect on the relative atomic number and relative atomic mass number after alpha radioactive decay?

The atomic number decreases by 2 (as there are 2 protons in an alpha particle), and the relative atomic mass number decreases by 4 (as there are 2 protons and neutrons in a alpha particle, which are both sub-atomic particles that contribute to the relative atomic mass number of a substance).

What is the affect on the relative atomic mass number and relative atomic number after beta radioactive decay?

The relative atomic mass number does not change as a beta particle has a mass of 1/1840 (but is rounded to 0), although the relative atomic number decreases by 1, as the number of protons is the atomic number and the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons in an atom.