radiation in perspective

Alpha radiation

• Alpha radiation is a heavy, positively charged particle given off by atoms of elements like uranium.
• Alpha radiation often can be easily washed off skin, and can be blocked by a piece of paper, but it can enter you body through cuts, breathing, food and water.
• Rutherford discovered alpha radiation.
• Alpha particles are slow compared to beta & gamma radiation.

Beta radiation

• Beta radiation consists of electrons.
• Beta is more harmful than alpha radiation.
• A sheet of aluminum can stop beta radiation.

Gamma radiation

• Gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation.
• Gamma rays can pass into a human body, but can be almost completely blocked by concrete.
• It travels the speed of light.

millirems

• Radiation is measured in units called millirems. A millirem is a unit of radiation used to measure exposure to humans.

more millirems

• 1,000 rem (1million rem) exposure to the whole body is normally fatal, but this dose level is used for some medical treatments of small portions of the body.
• Because we cannot feel or see radiation, people tend to magnify the perception of its risk.

mrem (millirems)

• 10,000 mrem is the minimum annual radiation exposure linked to increased lifetime risk of cancer.
• Anything below 100rem (100,000) scientist believe that the risk of long-term effects is about 4 in 10,000 for each 1,000 mrems of exposure to radiation.

radiation

• Radiation can be used in many different ways such as to make electricity, treat cancer, and in many more helpful ways.
• But radiation can also be dangerous and in some cases cause death.

More radiation

• You increase your dose by a millirem by-an average year of TV watching -a year of wearing a luminous dial watch -a coast-to-coast airline flight -a year living next door to a normally operating nuclear power plant

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