Quiz 6.1 - Non-medical uses of nuclear radiation

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This quiz has 12 questions. Click Submit at the end to mark it. No personal data is collected.

Use this animation of a smoke alarm to help you answer questions 1 - 4.

1. Why is an alpha source used in this kind of smoke detector, rather than beta or gamma? *

1 point

Alpha is safer

Alpha preserves the battery life better

Alpha is very highly ionising

2. What is the battery used for? Choose three. *

1 point

To power the alarm

To power the alpha source

To create a small current in the ionised air

To run the electronics that detect the current

Required

3. What happens when smoke enters the ionisation chamber to set the alarm off? *

1 point

The smoke absorbs the alphas and stops them ionising the air

The charged air ions stick to the smoke particles so the air ions are no longer free to make up a current

The alphas bounce off the smoke particles and hit a radiation detector

4. Why does the smoke alarm turn off automatically once the air is clear? *

1 point

The alpha source starts producing alphas again

The alpha particles are no longer deflected by the smoke particles

The air ions produced by the alphas are free to make the air conduct again

Use this animation of a beta thickness gauge to help you answer questions 5 - 8.

When the metal foil is the correct thickness the detector registers a count of 500 Bq.

5. Why would the detector start registering a count of 400 Bq? *

1 point

The foil is too thin

The foil is too thick

The foil is too long

6. If the detector started registering a count of 600 Bq, what would the automatic control system do to the rollers? *

1 point

Move them apart

Move them together

Stop them moving immediately

7. What are the advantages of using a beta thickness gauge? Choose two. *

1 point

Nothing mechanical touches the foil, so it doesn't get damaged

It can sterilise cooking foil as it's made

It can measure the thickness of the foil in real time as it passes

Required

8. Why wouldn't gamma be as good as beta? *

1 point

Gamma passes through foil too easily to changes much with thickness

Gamma wouldn't pass through the foil at all

Gamma would damage the detector too much over time

Use this animation of a gamma source used to trace an oil leak to help you with questions 9 - 11.

9. Where is the gamma tracer introduced into the oil pipeline? *

1 point

At the site of the suspected leak

Upstream of the suspected leak

Downstream of the suspected leak

10. Why is only gamma suitable for this task, rather than alpha or beta? *

1 point

Only gamma can pass through rock and soil and be detected

Gamma is safer

Alpha and beta sources can't be made into a liquid

11. What are some of the advantages of using gamma to sterilise sensitive medical equipment? Choose three. *

1 point

Gamma keeps working even after the equipment has been removed

Gamma can directly penetrate into little spaces that steam wouldn't reach

Gamma doesn't produce high temperatures that may damage the equipment

The equipment can be put in sealed packages and then sterilised

Required

12. Gamma can be used to kill bacteria in fruit and vegetables.

True or False: The gamma makes the food slightly radioactive

1 point

True

False

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