Essay
Essay unit 2- Energy and our Universe
- Institution
- PEARSON (PEARSON)
non ionising and ionising radiation report
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4.Radiation is broken into two types: non-ionizing and ionizing on the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum.
Non-Ionising Radiation
Non-Ionising radiation (NIR) does not cause molecules and atoms to be ionised, this means that
electrons do not leave the atom or molecule with an electrical charge (Wood and Karipidis, 2017).
NIR is low energy radiation, it does not have enough energy to ionise molecules and atoms. Power
lines, microwaves, radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light and lasers are all NRI sources. They
are considered to be less dangerous than ionising radiation, however, too much exposure can cause
health risks (Ronca). Exposure or close contact to some of the waves such as microwaves and infrared
can cause burns and cataracts from the infrared light. Even though visible light is used to see it can
cause eye damage because of the bright lights.
Ionising Radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy, it can remove tightly bound electrons from the
orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized during an interaction with an atom
(WHO, 2019).
Ionising radiation comes in three main types: alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Alpha
particles can be stopped from passing through by a piece of paper or skin. Beta particles need
something a bit thicker such as your hand to be stopped. Gamma on the other hand needs thick lead or
concrete to stop it passing through (s-cool). There are many hazards to these ionising radiations, alpha
can only if it is ingested whereas beta is a skin eye and internal hazard.
Even though there are many hazards with using these radiations, the main being cancer, there are also
useful uses, some of which are:
Beta- Checking thickness of sheet metal in factories
Alpha- Used within smoke detectors
Gamma- Sterilising syringes and medical supplies, can also be used to kill tumours.
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