Physics 8463 - 4.4 Atomic structure

4.4.3 Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation			Helpful pages
4.4.3.1	Background radiation	Background radiation is around us all of the time. It comes from: natural sources such as rocks, radon gas and cosmic rays from space man-made sources such as the fallout from nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents. The level of background radiation and radiation dose may be affected by occupation and/or location. Radiation dose is measured in sieverts (Sv) 1000 millisieverts (mSv) = 1 sievert (Sv) You will not need to recall the unit of radiation dose - but it is useful general knowledge!
4.4.3.2	Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes	Radioactive isotopes have a very wide range of half-life values. You should be able to explain why the hazards associated with radioactive material differ according to the half-life involved.
4.4.3.3	Uses of nuclear radiation	Nuclear radiations are used in medicine for the: exploration of internal organs control or destruction of unwanted tissue. You should be able to: describe and evaluate the uses of nuclear radiations for exploration of internal organs, and for control or destruction of unwanted tissue evaluate the perceived risks of using nuclear radiations in relation to given data and consequences.	PET Scanner Gamma Camera Tracers