Uses of radiation
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe some uses of radiation and how it can be used safely.
Key learning points
- Radioactive contamination is the presence of unwanted radioactive atoms.
- A material being exposed to iodising radiation is being irradiated and does not become radioactive.
- Radioactive isotopes with short half-lives decay quickly, emitting most radiation over a short period of time.
Keywords
Irradiation - the effect of exposing an object to radiation
Radioactive contamination - the transfer of radioactive particles to an object or place
Radiation dose - a measure of risk of harm from a person’s exposure to radiation
Sievert (Sv) - the unit of radiation dose
Radiotherapy - a method for killing cancer cells using radiation
Common misconception
A material exposed to radiation will become radioactive.
Take time to clearly distinguish between radioactive contamination and irradiation.
Teacher tip
This lesson provides an opportunity to engage pupils with individual research projects to investigate the use of radiation in more detail. A clearly structured research task helps make this work more useful and focused on what pupils need to know for their examinations.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following are properties of alpha radiation?
Q2.Which of the following are properties of gamma radiation?
Q3.Which of the following statements about beta radiation are correct?
Q4.Which type(s) of radiation can be stopped by a thin sheet of paper or skin?
Q5.Which type(s) of radiation can be stopped by a few mm of aluminium or plastic?
Q6.Match the following types of radiation to their typical range in air.
a few centimetres
several metres
hundreds of metres
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is irradiation?
Q2.What is contamination?
Q3.Which of the following causes an object itself to become radioactive?
Q4.Match the following types of radiation to the correct uses.
smoke alarms
controlling the thickness of paper
irradiating food; radiotherapy
Q5.Why are alpha sources unsuitable for medical imaging with radioactive substances injected into the body?
Q6.What is radiation dose, and in what unit is it measured?
To help you plan your 11 physics lesson on: Uses of radiation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 physics lesson on: Uses of radiation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
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