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Unit 5: Atomic Physics - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Majority go straight through
      - Some deflected through small angles
      - Few deflected straight back
  - - - Process of splitting a nucleus
      - Uranium-235 is commonly used
      - Nucleus requires energy, so hit with neutron
      - breaks apart into two smaller ‘daughter’ nuclei, plus 2 or 3 neutrons
      - Used in nuclear power plants
    - - Process of fusing 2 nuclei to form larger nucleus
      - How sun and stars releases energy
- - - - Low level nuclear radiation
      - Always present around us in environment
      - Mostly natural (radon gas, cosmic rays, rocks), Some artificial (x-rays, food)
    - - Radiation Detectors
        
        Photographic film (badges)
        
        Geiger-Muller, GM (tubes)
        
        Ionisation chambers
        
        Scintillation counters
        
        Spark counters
      - Radiation ionises atoms (knocks out electrons)
      - Radiation detectors detect presence of ions or chemical changes
    - - Measured in Becquerel (Bq)
      - Activity in nucleus - unstable nuclei which decay per second
      - Sievert (Sv) is measurement for radiation dose
      - Damage caused by absorbing 1J of energy per kg of body mass
    - - When object exposed to source of radiation outside of object
      - Object doesn't become radioactive
      - Can be blocked with suitable shielding
      - Stops as soon as source is removed
    - - When radioactive source is on/in object
      - Radioactive as long as source is on/in it
      - Once contaminated, radiation can't be blocked
      - Difficult to remove all of the contamination