YALE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

CLASS-IX / STUDY MATERIAL

PHYSICS / CHAPTER-23 / TOPIC-“RADIOACTIVITY”

LECTURE 1

Radioactivity
The process of emitting radiation by a substance is defined as radioactivity. This occurs
when an atom having unstable nucleus gives out radiation in order to attain stability.

Radioactive Contamination
A substance is said to be contaminated with radiation if the radiation gets inside the
object.

Radioactive Irradiation
A substance is said to be irradiated with radiation if the radiation just makes contact with
the outer surface of the object.

Background Radiation
Background radiation is a measure of the level of ionizing radiation present in the
environment at a particular location. These are low-level radiations found at the surface of
the Earth which comes from cosmic rays and from small amounts of radioactive materials
in rocks and in the atmosphere.

Sources Of Background Radiation

The following table describes how the different sources contribute to the background
radiation.
Sources Description
Radon gas Radon gas in the atmosphere is a radioactive substance
High energy particles from the Sun absorbed by the
Cosmic rays
atmosphere
Rocks and building materials Materials like granite rocks emit radiation
Medical Various radioactive isotopes are used in medical purpose
Food K – 40 present in food substances is radioactive in nature

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Types Of Radiation
(i) Alpha radiation – This radiation particle is made up of two protons and two neutrons.

Detecting Radiation Using G. M. Counter

A G. M. counter is a device used for measuring the amount of radiation emitted by a
radioactive source.

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