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
Which type of ionizing radiation has the greatest penetrating power?
Answer: Gamma rays
Gamma rays are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation that can pass through most materials, requiring dense shielding such as lead or concrete.
What is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose?
Answer: Gray
The Gray (Gy) is the SI unit of absorbed dose, defined as 1 joule of energy deposited per kilogram of matter.
What term describes the time required for a radioactive substance to lose half of its radioactivity?
Answer: Half-life
Half-life is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to undergo radioactive decay.
Which atomic process is responsible for the emission of characteristic X-rays?
Answer: Electron shell transition
Characteristic X-rays are produced when an inner-shell electron vacancy is filled by an outer-shell electron, releasing energy as an X-ray photon.
What is Bremsstrahlung radiation?
Answer: X-rays produced when fast electrons decelerate near a nucleus
Bremsstrahlung (braking radiation) is produced when high-energy electrons are decelerated by the electric field of an atomic nucleus, emitting X-ray photons.
Which interaction is the predominant photon interaction at diagnostic X-ray energies (20–100 keV)?
Answer: Compton scattering
Compton scattering predominates at diagnostic X-ray energies (roughly 30–150 keV in soft tissue), involving partial energy transfer to a recoil electron with scatter of the photon.