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Hospitals use ionising radiation for many purposes - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 6
Hospitals use ionising radiation for many purposes. (a) State one use of ionising radiation in a hospital. (b) An isotope of technicium, technicium-99, has a half-... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Hospitals use ionising radiation for many purposes - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
Step 2
Calculate how much technicium-99 will be in this sample after 12 hours.
Answer
To find out how much technicium-99 remains after 12 hours, we need to know how many half-lives have passed. The half-life of technicium-99 is 6 hours.
After 12 hours, which is 2 half-lives:
Initial amount = 40 mg
After 1st half-life (6 hours): 40 ext{ mg} imes rac{1}{2} = 20 ext{ mg}
After 2nd half-life (12 hours): 20 ext{ mg} imes rac{1}{2} = 10 ext{ mg}
Thus, the amount remaining = 10 mg.
Step 3
Explain why it is important to monitor the amount of radiation a radiographer absorbs each month.
Answer
It is important to monitor the radiation absorbed by a radiographer each month to ensure that exposure levels remain within safe limits. Prolonged exposure to radiation can cause harmful effects such as tissue damage, increased cancer risk, or other serious health issues. Regular monitoring helps to prevent dangerous levels of exposure and maintains the health and safety of the radiographer.
Step 4