Answers to AQA GCSE Radioactive Contamination and Irradiation
Practice Questions
1. Define the term contamination
Radioactive contamination is the unwanted presence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials.
2. Define the term irradiation
Irradiation occurs when a material is exposed to ionising nuclear radiation such as alpha, beta or gamma, but does not become radioactive.
3. Using the table below, assign each example as either contamination or irradiation
| Description | Contamination or Irradiation |
|---|---|
| Radioactive waste leaking from a drum onto a concrete floor | Contamination |
| Gamma rays being used to sterilse medical equipment | Irradiation |
| Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion | Contamination |
| A patient undergoing radiotherapy to kill a cancerous tumour | Irradiation |
Absorption and Emission of EM Radiation
JJ Thomson and Plum pudding model
Ernest Rutherford and the Nuclear Model
Niels Bohr changing the Nuclear Model
Discovering the Proton and Neutron
Measuring radiation from radioactivity
Radiation types and properties
Random nature of radioactive decay
Radioactive contamination or irradiation
Hazards of contamination and irradiation
Studies on the effects of radiation on humans
Different half lives of radioactive isotopes
Nuclear Fission Chain Reaction
Writing nuclear fission equations