Photo AI
4 Some nuclear reactors used to generate electricity also produce cobalt-60 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Question 4
4 Some nuclear reactors used to generate electricity also produce cobalt-60. (a) (i) When cobalt-60 decays it releases high energy gamma rays. Which of these is a c... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:4 Some nuclear reactors used to generate electricity also produce cobalt-60 - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 4 - 2016 - Paper 1
Step 1
When cobalt-60 decays it releases high energy gamma rays. Which of these is a correct use of gamma rays?
Answer
The correct use of gamma rays is C sterilising hospital equipment. Gamma rays are used in hospitals to sterilise medical instruments as they have the ability to kill bacteria and other microorganisms.
Step 2
Explain why gamma rays are dangerous.
Answer
Gamma rays are dangerous because they are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation that can pass through most materials, including human tissue. This penetrating power makes them capable of causing ionization of cells, which can lead to tissue damage, radiation sickness, and increase the risk of cancer due to DNA damage.
Step 3
Calculate the mass of cobalt-60 remaining after 10 years.
Answer
To calculate the remaining mass of cobalt-60, we use the concept of half-lives. The half-life of cobalt-60 is 5 years, which means in each 5-year period the mass is halved.
After 5 years: ext{Remaining mass} = rac{2.0 ext{ mg}}{2} = 1.0 ext{ mg}
After another 5 years (10 years total): ext{Remaining mass} = rac{1.0 ext{ mg}}{2} = 0.5 ext{ mg}
Therefore, the mass of cobalt-60 remaining after 10 years is 0.5 mg.
Step 4