ch. 2 short answer

with reference to electromagnetic radiation, what does wave-particle duality mean?

this form of radiation travels or propagates through space in the form of a wave but can interact with matter as a particle of energy call a photon. for this reason, x-rays may be described as both waves and particles.

what is an electron volt (eV)?

unit of energy equal to the quantity of kinetic energy an electron acquires as it moves through a potential different of 1 volt (V)

how does ionizing radiation damage biologic tissue?

by ejecting electrons from the atoms composing the tissues

what is an important determinant of the extent of biologic harm that may occur in humans?

the amount of energy absorbed by human tissue from ionizing radiation

describe what can happen to a living organism if excessive multicellular damage occurs as a consequence of radiation exposure.

the living organism will have a significant possibility of exhibiting genetic or somatic changes

what is the origin of cosmic rays? from what do they result?

of extraterrestrial origin and result from nuclear interactions that have taken place in the sun and other stars.

name four radionuclides found in small quantities in the human body.

potassium-40 (⁴⁰K)

carbon-14 (¹⁴C)

hydrogen-3 (³H)

tritium

strontium-90 (⁹⁰Sr)

why is it impossible to estimate accurately the total annual EqD from fallout?

because actual radiation measurements do not exist. the dose commitment that may ultimately be delivered from a given intake of radionuclide may be estimated by using a series of approximations and simplistic models that are subject to considerable speculation.

why is it necessary to control human-made, or artificial, sources of radiation?

humans are unable to control natural background radiation. also, if human-made sources of radiation that can be controlled are limited, the general public can be protected from further biologic damage.

to study radiation protection what are the two categories of the electromagnetic spectrum?

divided into ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiaiton

why are radiations such as visible light and radio waves considered to be nonionizing?

because they do not have sufficient kinetic energy to eject electrons from the atom.

what are mesons?

short-lived subatomic particles, smaller than a proton, and are generated as by-products from very high energy collisions between protons or between protons and neutrons. they can carry an electric charge of the same value as that of an electron or be neural.

what subunit of a sievert (Sv) is equal to 1/1000 of a Sv?

a mSv

list six sources of human-made, or artificial, ionizing radiation.

1) consumer products containing radioactive material

2) nuclear fuel for generation of power

3) atmospheric fallout from nuclear weapons

4) nuclear power plant accidents

5) nuclear power plant accidents as a consequence of natural disasters

6) medical radiation

what disease continues to be the main adverse health effect of the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant?

thyroid cancer

what name has been given to the arch-type steel-shaped vault that now covers the remains of Chernobyl reactor unit 4 and the sarcophagus that entombs it?

New Confinement Shelter

list three ways to indicate the amount of radiation received by a patient?

1) ESE, which includes skin and glandular exposure

2) bone marrow dose

3) gonadal dose

what radiation quantity enables the calculation of the EfD?

EqD radiation quantity

in the electromagnetic spectrum with what are higher frequencies associated?

shorter wavelengths and higher energies

in terms of ability to penetrate biologic matter, how do alpha particles compare with beta particles? why are alpha particles considered virtually harmless as an external sources of radiation?

alpha particles or less penetrating than beta particles. because alpha particles interact readily and lose their kinetic energy quite rapidly as they travel a short distance through biologic matter. however, if an alpha particle is inhaled or ingested, there is a significant rish to the live cells it will encounter in the respiratory or digestive tract.