nuclear radiation
Knowledge you need to have:
Knowledge of the nature of alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) radiation.
Knowledge of the term ‘ionisation’ and the effect of ionisation on neutral atoms.
Knowledge of the relative ionising effect and penetration of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.
Definition of activity in terms of the number of nuclear disintegrations and time.
Knowledge of sources of background radiation.
Knowledge of the dangers of ionising radiation to living cells and of the need to measure exposure to radiation.
Comparison of equivalent dose due to a variety of natural and artificial sources.
Knowledge of equivalent dose rate and exposure safety limits for the public and for workers in the radiation industries in terms of annual effective equivalent dose.
Average annual background radiation in UK: 2·2 mSv.
Annual effective dose limit for member of the public: 1 mSv.
Annual effective dose limit for radiation worker: 20 mSv.
Awareness of applications of nuclear radiation: electricity generation, cancer treatment and other industrial and medical uses.
Definition of half-life.
Description of an experiment to measure the half-life of a radioactive material.
Qualitative description of fission, chain reactions, and their role in the generation of energy.
Qualitative description of fusion, plasma containment, and their role in the generation of energy.
Skills you need to develop:
Use of graphical or numerical data to determine the half-life of a radioactive material.
Use of an appropriate relationship to solve problems involving activity, number of nuclear disintegrations and time.
Use of appropriate relationships to solve problems involving absorbed dose, equivalent dose, energy, mass and weighting factor.
Use of an appropriate relationship to solve problems involving equivalent dose rate, equivalent dose and time.
