science | at1 - radioactivity

what is an example of alpha radiation use?

americium-241 is used in smoke detectors as emitted alpha particles ionise the air between two conducting plates with an electrical current. the smoke particles between the plates reduces the size of the current, setting the alarm off.

what is an example of beta radiation use?

strontium-90 is used to treat bone cancers by destroying the cancerous cells of tumours in bones

what is an example of gamma radiation use?

it can be used for custom inspections as gamma rays has high penetration power which let them look through solid objects

how is radioactivity utilised in nuclear power?

uranium-235 and plutonium-239 is utilised in nuclear power which uses nuclear reactions to generate nuclear energy. this creates heat and is used in steam turbines to generate electricity in a power plant

how is radioactivity utilised in carbon dating?

the predictability of radioisotopes help to date objects that are as old as 100 000 years using carbon-14

how is radioactivity utilised in medicine?

radiotherapy is a cancer treatment which uses high energy to kill dangerous cancer cells. radioactive elements are used to ‘track’ diseases. radioisotopes: yttrium-90, iodine-31

what are the hazards of radiation in dna?

large doses of radiation are highly destructive to cells, tissues and vital organs. this can cause radiation sickness but cells have some ability to repair the damage

what are some hazards of radioactivity in cancer and mutations?

as cells repair the damage made from nuclear radiation, mutations of dna occur and they can cause cells to become cancers. mutations in sperm and egg cells may cause birth defects