Radiation Health and Safety Test Radiation Physics & Principles Flashcards
6 cards from real Radiation Health and Safety Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Radiation Health and Safety Test Radiation Physics & Principles flashcards as text
What is the process by which unstable atomic nuclei spontaneously emit radiation to reach a more stable state?
Answer: Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the spontaneous transformation of an unstable nucleus into a more stable configuration, releasing energy in the form of radiation.
Which type of radiation is stopped most easily by a sheet of paper or skin?
Answer: Alpha particles
Alpha particles have very low penetrating power and can be stopped by a sheet of paper, a few centimeters of air, or the outer layer of skin.
What is the purpose of the radiation weighting factor (W_R) in dosimetry?
Answer: To convert absorbed dose to equivalent dose by accounting for biological effectiveness
The radiation weighting factor adjusts absorbed dose to reflect the relative biological effectiveness of different radiation types in causing harm to tissue.
Which phenomenon occurs when a gamma ray photon interacts with matter and completely transfers its energy to an inner-shell electron?
Answer: Photoelectric effect
In the photoelectric effect, an incident photon is completely absorbed and its energy ejects an inner-shell electron (photoelectron) from the atom.
What is meant by 'secular equilibrium' in a radioactive decay series?
Answer: Daughter activity equals parent activity after many daughter half-lives have passed
Secular equilibrium occurs in a decay series when the daughter's half-life is much shorter than the parent's, causing daughter activity to equal parent activity after several daughter half-lives.
What is the primary source of natural background radiation exposure for most Americans?
Answer: Radon gas
Radon gas (specifically radon-222) is the largest single source of natural background radiation exposure in the US, accounting for about 37% of total average exposure.