P3 Radioactive Materials
P3.1 Why are some
materials radioactive?
1. recall
that some elements emit ionising radiation all the
time and are called
radioactive;
2. understand
that radioactive elements are naturally found in the
environment, emitting background
radiation;
3. recognise, in given text, the terms electron, proton,
neutron and nucleus;
4. understand
that an atom has a nucleus, made of protons and
neutrons;
5. understand
that every atom of any element has the same number of
protons but the number of
neutrons may differ;
6. understand
that the behaviour of radioactive materials cannot be
changed
by chemical or physical
processes;
7. recall
three types of ionising radiation (alpha, beta and
gamma) emitted by
radioactive materials;
8. recall
the penetration properties of each type of radiation;
9. describe
radioactive materials in terms of the instability of the
nucleus, radiation emitted and
the element left behind;
10. understand
that, over time, the activity of radioactive sources decreases;
11. understand
the meaning of the term half-life;
12. understand
that radioactive elements have a wide range of half-life values;
13. carry
out simple calculations involving half-life.
MODULE P3: RADIOACTIVE
MATERIALS
P3.2 How
can radioactive materials be used and handled safely, including wastes?
1. understand
that ionising radiation can damage living cells;
2. understand
that ionising radiation is able to break molecules
into bits (called
ions), which can then
take part in other chemical reactions;
3. understand
that when ionising radiation strikes living cells
these may be
killed or may become
cancerous;
4. recall
how ionising radiation can be used to:
• treat cancer;
• sterilise surgical instruments;
• sterilise food;
5. recall that radiation
dose (in sievert) (based on both amount and type of
radiation) is a measure of the
possible harm done to your body;
6. interpret
given data on risk related to radiation dose;
7. understand
that radioactive materials expose people to risk by irradiation
and contamination;
8. understand
that we are irradiated and contaminated all the time and name
some sources of this
background radiation;
9. relate
ideas about half life and background radiation to the time taken for a
radioactive source to become safe;
10. recall
categories of people who are regularly exposed to risk of radiation and
that their exposure is
carefully monitored.
MODULE P3: RADIOACTIVE
MATERIALS
P3.3 How
can electricity be generated? What can be done with nuclear wastes?
1. understand
why electricity is called a secondary energy source;
2. understand
that electricity is convenient because it is easily transmitted
over distances and can be
used in many ways;
3. label
a block diagram showing the basic steps by which electricity is
generated;
4. interpret
a Sankey diagram of electricity generation and
distribution to
include the efficiency of
energy transfers;
5. recall
two examples to show that we can use renewable energy sources
instead of fuels to generate
electricity;
6. recall
that power stations which burn carbon fuels will produce carbon
dioxide;
7. understand
that a nuclear fuel is one where energy is released from
changes in the nucleus;
8. know
that in nuclear fission a neutron splits a large and unstable
nucleus (limited to uranium)
into two smaller parts, roughly equal in
size, releasing more
neutrons;
9. compare
the amount of energy released during nuclear fission with
that released in a chemical
reaction;
10. understand
how the nuclear fission process in nuclear power stations
is controlled, and use the
terms chain reaction, fuel rod, control rod
and coolant;
11. understand
that nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste;
12. understand
that nuclear wastes are categorised as high level,
intermediate
level and low level, and
relate this to disposal methods;
13. interpret
and evaluate information about different energy sources for
generating electricity,
considering efficiency, economic and environmental
costs, power output and
lifetime.
MODULE P3: RADIOACTIVE
MATERIALS
P3.4 What
are the health risks from radioactive materials?
1. when
provided with additional information on the health risks associated
with radioactive materials,
and the steps taken to limit these:
• can explain why it is impossible for anything to be completely
safe;
• can identify examples of risks which arise from new scientific or
technological advances;
• can suggest ways of reducing specific risks;
• can interpret and discuss information on the size of risks,
presented in
different ways;
• can discuss a given risk, taking account of both the chance of it
occurring and the consequences if
it did;
• can suggest benefits of activities with known risk;
• can offer reasons for people’s willingness (or reluctance) to
accept the
risk of a given activity;
• can discuss personal and social choices in terms of a balance of
risk
and benefit;
• can identify, or propose, an argument based on the
‘precautionary
principle’;
• can distinguish between actual risk and perceived risk, when
discussing personal and social
choices;
• can suggest reasons for given examples of differences between
actual and perceived risk;
• can explain what the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable)
principle means and how it
applies to the issue in question;
2. in the context of
health risks associated with radioactive materials:
• can identify the groups affected and the main benefits and costs
of a
course of action for each
group;
• can explain the idea of sustainable development, and apply it to
specific situations;
• shows awareness that scientific research and applications are
subject
to official regulations
and laws;
• can distinguish what can be done (technical feasibility), from
what should be done
(values);
• can explain why different courses of action may be taken in
different social and economic
contexts.