Uses and risks of radiationIB MYP Physics: Flashcards

What these 13 flashcards ask

How is a tracer used in medical imaging?
What is radiotherapy?
Why is a radiotherapy beam aimed at the tumour from several directions?
How is radiation used to sterilise surgical equipment?
Which radiation is used in thickness gauging, and why?
How is a radioactive tracer used for leak detection?
How does food irradiation work?
Is irradiated food radioactive?
Why is ionising radiation harmful?
Which source is most dangerous if swallowed or breathed in?
Name three safety precautions when working with radiation.
What is a film badge?
What is radiation dose?

Exam questions on Uses and risks of radiation

A hospital in Cape Town treats a patient who has a tumour using a beam of gamma rays. The beam is aimed at the tumour from several different directions around the patient's body.
Explain why gamma rays can kill cancer cells.2 marks
A paper mill in Finland makes a continuous sheet of paper that must have a constant thickness. A radioactive source on one side of the moving sheet sends radiation through the paper to a detector on the other side. A computer monitors the count rate at the detector and adjusts the rollers that press the paper.
Explain why a source with a long half-life is chosen for this job.2 marks
A hospital radiographer works with a gamma source for several hours each day. She follows three safety rules: she keeps the source in a lead container when it is not in use, she stays as far from the source as she can, and she limits the time she spends near it. She also wears a film badge.
Explain how each of her three rules reduces the radiation dose she receives.3 marks

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).