Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation Tuesday, 03 May 2022

1. Name three subatomic particles, their relative mass and their relative charge
2. Define an isotope
3. Define an Ion
4. Describe the plum pudding model
5. Rutherford’s scattering experiment proved that the plum pudding model was wrong,
what conclusions can be taken from the observations below
a. Only some alpha particles were scattered
b. Very few alpha particles were scattered at an angle bigger than 90o
c. Most of the alpha particles passed straight though
 Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation Tuesday, 03 May 2022

1. Proton – mass 1, charge +1, electron – mass 1/2000 (0), charge -1, neutron – mass 1, charge 0
2. Isotope - an atom with a different number of neutrons.
3. Ion is an atom or group of atoms with a positive or negative charge.
4. a spherical cloud of positive charge, containing scattered areas of negative charge throughout.
5. Rutherford’s scattering experiment proved that the plum pudding model was wrong, what conclusions
can be taken from the observations below
a. Only some alpha particles were scattered - this showed that there must be a positive charge in
the centre of the atom.
b. Very few alpha particles were scattered at an angle bigger than 90o -This showed that the
positive charge must have been extremely small.
c. Most of the alpha particles passed straight though - This showed that the atom must be mainly
empty space.
Introduction to Radioactivity
If substances are classed as radioactive, this means that they are unstable.

Unstable refers to the forces acting on the particles and the amount of internal energy of the nucleus.

Radioactive decay - to lower the energy, becoming more stable, atoms give out radiation in a random process.

Radiation
Ways to detect radioactivity
A Geiger Muller Tube Photographic film

This photo shows how radioactivity

was discovered in 1896

Activity - the rate at which a source of unstable nuclei decays.

Activity is measured in becquerel (Bq)

Count-rate is the number of decays recorded each second by a

detector (eg Geiger-Muller tube).
Geiger-Muller Tube
METAL TUBE NEGATIVE
MICA
WINDOW
GAS

POSITIVE
RADIOACTIVE
SOURCE
COUNTER

• High energy incoming nuclear radiation ionises the gas inside the tube
• the negative ions formed (electrons) then flow towards a positively charged plate
• Completing the circuit, and causing a current to flow into the counter
Photographic Film

Photographic film goes dark when it

absorbs radiation. Therefore the more
radiation the film is exposed to, the
darker it will appear once developed.

In this image the white areas are where

the radiation (X-rays) have been
absorbed by something else (our bones)
Alpha Radiation (α)

An alpha particle - a nucleus of a helium atom, it consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons

An alpha particle’s
relative mass is 4, its
relative charge is +2
4
2
α
Range in air – short, up to 5cm.

Penetration power – low, alpha radiation can be stopped by paper or skin

Ionisation rate – high, alpha radiation has a large mass compared to electrons it may collide with, this
results in a large energy transfer and a high rate of ionisation.
Using alpha sources – Smoke detector

• Smoke alarms have a radioactive alpha source, which is placed between a gap in its circuit.
• The alpha particles ionise the air allowing a current to flow across the gap.
• Smoke absorbs the ions created stopping the current from flowing.
• In the presence of smoke, the current inside the smoke alarm drops which triggers the alarm.

Alpha Source Alpha Source

+ - + -
Current flows due to ionisation The particles are stopped by
of air molecules the smoke, breaking the circuit
Beta Radiation (β)

A beta particle - an electron that is emitted when a neutron in the nucleus turns into a proton.

0
β
A Beta particle’s relative
mass is effectively 0, its
relative charge is -1 -1

Range in air – medium, up to 5m

Penetration power – medium, beta radiation can be stopped with a few millimetres of aluminium

Ionisation rate – medium, beta radiation has low mass but a high velocity.
Using beta radiation – paper factory
Beta radiation passing through the thin paper
The amount of radiation passing through the paper varies depending on the thickness of the paper.
A detector is set opposite the source and shows the amount of radiation received after it has passed
through the paper, this number is proportional to the thickness of the paper.
The rollers can then be adjusted, moving up if too much radiation is measured, meaning the paper is too
thin, and moving down is too little radiation is measured, meaning the paper is too thick.

Source of Beta Rollers

Controller
radiation

Paper

Geiger counter
 

Gamma radiation - a high energy, high frequency electromagnetic wave

Gamma radiation has  

no mass and no charge,
it is a wave.

Range in air – long, up to 500m

Penetration power – high, only stopped by a few meters of concrete or lead.

Ionisation rate – low, although it has a lot of energy, each gamma wave is absorbed by only one electron.
Using Gamma Radiation – Tracers
Substances that emit gamma radiation are often used as tracers as it is highly penetrating but has
a low ionisation rate.

Medical tracers Industrial tracers

The tracer can be consumed into the body and be tracked by
a detector as it moves through the body. The sources are
chosen carefully, so they don’t emit radiation for longer than
is necessary, e.g. short half-life.
• To find leaks or blockages in underground pipes
• To map the route of underground pipes or caves
• To track the dispersal of waste

EXAMPLE: Radioactive iodine can be used to identify

a blocked kidney. Once consumed the activity can be
measured by a detector. A reading that varies The radiation from the radioactive source is picked
indicates there is no blockage. A reading that stays up above the ground, enabling the leak in the pipe
constant indicates a blockage to be detected.
Shielding
Practice

1) Alpha (α) – an atom decays creating a new

element, emitting an alpha particle (2 protons
Unstable nucleus New nucleus Alpha particle and 2 Neutrons
______ (the nucleus of a ______
Helium atom)

2) Beta (β) – a neutron turns into a ______and

Proton
an electron. The fast moving, high energy
electron is called a _____
beta particle.
Unstable nucleus New nucleus Beta particle

3) Gamma (γ) –__Energy___ is sometimes emitted

from a nucleus in order to become more ______.
stable
This is called gamma radiation, it has a very high
Unstable nucleus Less energetic Gamma
____ __ with a short wavelength. The atom is
frequency
nucleus radiation not changed by the release of gamma radiation.
Practice

Gamma
Beta
Alpha
Practice

Beta gamma
Practice

Beta

The foil would gradually becomes thicker, because the

Alpha radiation would not pass through the foil
count rate goes down slightly, this means that the rollers
Gamma radiation would not be affected by the thickness will adjust becoming closer together
Practice

• When there is no absorber, there are 33 counts

• When the card is inserted, the count rate is
reduces to 20 counts per second, which means
that alpha radiation has been stopped.
• When the metal sheet is inserted, the count rate
reduces further to only 2 counts per second,
which means that beta radiation has been
stopped.
• If gamma radiation was being given out, the
counts would be far higher, because it would not
be stopped by a few mm of metal.