Physics CP06 Radioactivity

Cards (38)

  • What is the purpose of a particle view in atomic physics?
    To simplify complex systems for easier understanding
  • What does a particle view show in atomic physics?
    Only the important particles
  • How do different elements vary in atomic structure?
    They have different numbers of particles in their atoms
  • What was the key setup of Rutherford's experiment?
    • A thin gold foil was used
    • It allowed observation of particles passing through
  • What was observed in Rutherford's experiment regarding alpha particles?
    Most alpha particles passed straight through, but some were deflected or bounced back
  • What aspect of Rutherford's evidence is difficult to explain with simpler particles?
    The bouncing back of some particles
  • What are the key atomic models and their development evidence?
    • Dalton's model: solid sphere
    • Thomson's model: plum pudding
    • Rutherford's model: nucleus with electrons
    • Evidence from experiments led to these developments
  • How would you describe the Rutherford model of the atom?
    It has a small, dense nucleus with protons and neutrons, and electrons orbiting around
  • What is the charge of a proton?
    Positive
  • What is the charge of a neutron?
    No charge
  • What is the charge of an electron?
    Negative
  • What are the relative masses of protons, neutrons, and electrons?
    • Proton: 1
    • Neutron: 1
    • Electron: Very small
  • What defines the atomic number of an atom?
    The number of protons in its nucleus
  • What is the mass number of an atom?
    The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom
  • What are isotopes?
    Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons
  • What is the most common isotope of carbon?
    Carbon-12
  • How many protons and neutrons does Carbon-12 have?
    6 protons and 6 neutrons
  • How many protons and neutrons does Carbon-14 have?
    6 protons and 8 neutrons
  • What is the relative atomic mass of carbon?
    12.01
  • What does the relative atomic mass represent?
    The average mass of all isotopes of an element
  • What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single orbital?
    2
  • How many orbitals are there in a subshell with l=1?
    3
  • What are the possible values of ml for an electron in a p orbital?
    • 1, 0, +1
  • What is background radiation?
    Low-level radiation present everywhere from natural and human sources
  • What are the main sources of background radiation?
    Natural sources and human activities
  • What are the natural sources of background radiation?
    • Radioactive isotopes in rocks and soil
    • Cosmic rays from space
    • Radon gas from uranium decay
    • Radioactive isotopes in food and drink
    • Radioactive isotopes in our bodies
  • What are the man-made sources of background radiation?
    • Nuclear weapons testing
    • Nuclear power stations
    • Medical procedures (e.g., X-rays)
    • Consumer products (e.g., smoke detectors)
  • How is background radiation measured?
    Using a Geiger-Müller tube
  • What is the unit of activity for measuring radioactivity?
    Becquerel (Bq)
  • What does the count rate in a Geiger-Müller tube indicate?
    The activity of the radiation
  • Why does the count rate vary with location?
    Due to different sources of background radiation
  • What is the corrected count rate?
    The measured count rate minus the background count rate
  • What is the half-life of a radioactive substance?
    The time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay
  • How can you determine the half-life from a graph?
    By finding the time it takes for the amount to halve
  • Why is it important to take multiple measurements of radioactivity?
    To reduce the impact of random errors
  • What is the significance of background radiation in measurements?
    It must be subtracted to get accurate values
  • What are the dangers associated with radioactivity?
    • Nuclear accidents
    • Handling radioactive sources
    • Radiation exposure in hospitals
  • What are some examples of radioactive decay?
    • Alpha decay
    • Beta decay
    • Gamma decay