CAIE IGCSE PHYSICS (0625)

5.2 Radioactivity

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 1

Radioactivity
 Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiations mainly α , β , γ rays from unstable nucleus.
 Rate of decay can not be changed by physical and chemical changes.

Background Radiations
 Low level of radiations from environmental sources.

 Main sources are:

1. cosmic rays
2. Rocks that contain radium and thorium ores
3. Nuclear waste from power plants and weapons.
4. Medical examination machines (i.e. X-ray machines)

 Radium and thorium decays to produce radon gas.

 Nuclear waste
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Three types of nuclear emissions
Alpha Rays
 Emission of 2 protons and 2 neutron from unstable nucleus, also called helium nuclei.
 They have charge of 2 protons and have a rest mass of (2 protons + 2 neutrons).
 It travels at about 10% of speed of light.
 It is the heaviest among alpha, beta and gamma radiations.
 It is least penetrating among alpha, beta and gamma radiations.
 It is the most ionizing among alpha, beta and gamma radiations.
 They can be stopped by thick sheet of paper.

Example
238 234
92𝑈 90𝑇ℎ + 42𝐻𝑒 + 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
In general,
𝐴 𝐴−4
𝑍𝑋 𝑍−2𝑌 + 42𝐻𝑒 + 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦

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Beta Rays (Beta Negative Decay)
 Beta rays are fast moving electrons and positrons.
 The rest mass of beta rays is equal to the mass of electron.
 They travel very close to the speed of light.
 They carry the charge of 1 electron.
 It is less ionizing as compared to alpha rays but more ionizing as compared to gamma rays.
 It is more penetrating as compared to alpha rays but less penetrating as compared to gamma rays.
 In beta negative decay a neutron converts to proton, electron and anti-neutrino.
 They can be stopped by few millimeters thick layer of aluminum.
Example
0
14
6𝐶
14
7𝑁 + −1𝑒 + 00𝑉 + 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦

In general, 𝐴 𝐴 0
+ 00𝑉 + 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
𝑍𝑋 𝑍+1𝑌 + −1𝐵

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 4

Gamma Rays
 Gamma rays are photons, wave or electromagnetic radiation.
 They have no charge and no rest mass.
 They travel at the speed of light because they are the light.
 Because of smallest size, they are most penetrating among alpha, beta and gamma radiations.
 Because of no charge, they are least ionizing among alpha, beta and gamma radiations.
 Gamma rays are frequently released after alpha or beta decay.
 The intensity of gamma radiations can be stopped by few millimeters of lead.
In general,
𝐴
𝑍𝑋
𝐴
𝑍𝑌 + 00γ

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 5

Practice

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Nuclear Stability
 Nucleus lying on stability belt or close to it are stable.
 Upto atomic no. 20 stable nuclei are those in which number of protons equals number of neutrons.
 After atomic no. 20 stable nuclei are those in which number of neutrons are greater than number of protons.
 Stability belt exist for upto Atomic no. 83, after atomic no. 83 all elements are radioactive.
 A nuclei above the stability line decays by beta negative emission (a neutron changes to proton) to decrease the N/Z
ratio.
 A nuclei below the stability line decays by beta positive emission (a proton changes to neutron) to increase the N/Z
ratio.
 A nuclei above atomic number 82 usually decays by emitting alpha particles.

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Activity and half-life
 Radioactivity is a spontaneous and random process, means one cannot exactly predict when and which particular
nucleus will decay.
 But good estimations about decay of group of nucleus or percentage of nucleus could be made.
 The average number of disintegration of nuclei per second of a sample is called its activity.
 Activity (rate of decay) depends on:
1. Amount (N) of radioactive sample present at time t=0 (initially). Higher N value higher rate of decay.
2. Half life of radioactive substance. Longer the half life smaller the rate of decay.
 Half life is the time interval in which half of nuclei within a sample decays or the time taken in which the activity (rate
of decay) of a sample reduces half of its initial value.

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Activity and half-life

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Uses of radioactivity

Smoke Alarm
 Americium-241 is used as a radioactive source. As it emits alpha particles.
 Alpha particles constantly ionizes air around them releasing trillions of electrons from air (mainly nitrogen and oxygen)
molecules.
 These electrons are directed by applying a potential difference using a battery.
 At normal conditions constant current flows in the smoke alarm circuit.
 When there is a large amount of carbon di-oxide, carbon monoxide, soot particles, unburned hydrocarbons etc. in the
air the alpha particles released from Americium-241 are not potentially strong to ionize Smokey air, resulting in
decrease in continuous current.
 This decrease in continuous supply of current is reported through a sharp “beep” sound.
 Alpha source is used because alpha particles do not travel far in air so decreased health risk.

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 10

Uses of radioactivity

Sterilization
 Gamma rays are used to sterilized medical instruments, food items to kill bacteria.
 Gamma rays are used because of there high penetrating potential and greater energy.
 The gamma radiations are safe as no radioactive substance (particle) goes into the food.

Thickness Gauge

 Due to different penetrating potential of alpha, beta and gamma rays they can used to gauge thickness of objects.
 Radioactive sources are also used to locate flaws (cracks, voids, discontinuities) in the material.
 Abnormal (usually higher) count rate where flaws is present.

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 11

Uses of radioactivity

Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases

 Technicium-99 is the most widely used radioisotope in medical imaging.
 Gamma rays are used to image and diagnose cancer cells.
 High intensity Gamma rays (Radiotherapy) are used to kill cancer cells.
 Iodine-131 is used in the treatment of various diseases of thyroid gland.
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Tracers

 Radioactive sources are use to trace contamination spread in water

bodies (rivers, oceans etc.).
 Tracers can be used as to trace fluid flow in pipes
(Lagrangian Approach).
 Radioactive tracers can be used to track the uptake of
fertilizers in plants through a process known as radioisotope labeling.

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Uses of radioactivity

Archaeology

 Bodies of living things take up carbon-12 (non-radioactive) and carbon-14 (radioactive) when they are alive.
 When the living things die no fresh carbon is taken in.
 As the time passes stored carbon-14 decays.
 The percentage of carbon-14 of old fossilized sample is compared with the percentage present in modern day sample of
similar living thing.
 Half life of carbon-14 is 5700 years.
 The process of estimation of age of dead living organisms by the comparing percentages of carbon-14 is called carbon
dating.
 Carbon dating is only appreciable for samples upto 50000 years, because after 9 to 10 half lives proportion of carbon-14
decrease to undetectable extent.
 Carbon-14 dating cannot be used for estimation of age of non living (i.e. rocks)
 As inorganic, non living things do not absorb carbon-14. So radioactive decay series is used to compute the age of rocks.

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 13

 REFERENCES
 CAIE IGCSE Physics (0625) 4th Edition
DISCLAIMER
 These slides contain the information that serves as a
student’s aid for CAIE IGCSE Physics (0625) 4th edition.

 The slides only covers the theoretical part for the exam, for
practicals and for more in-depth knowledge students must
consult the textbook.

 Consequently these notes cannot replace the textbook.

12/4/2023 By Syed Muhammad Talal Haider 14