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VCE Unit 1 Physics - Radiation & Nuclear Energy Cheat Sheet

A Education › Physics cheat sheet in English by aqqua

VCE Unit 1 Physics for Topics Radiation & Nuclear Energy. Free to use as your own.

Energy Nucleus Vce Radiation Nuclear
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Fissio­n/F­usi­on/­Binding Summary

Process
What Happens?
Energy Source
Main Issues
Fission
Big nucleus splits into smaller ones
Mass defect
Radioa­ctive waste, accidents
Fusion
Small nuclei combine into bigger one
Mass defect
Hard to achieve on Earth
Binding Energy
Energy holding nucleus together
Mass converted to energy
Indicates stability

Defini­tions in Nuclear Energy

Fission- When a nucleus splits into two or more pieces usually after
bombar­dment by neutrons.
Fusion- A process taking place inside stars in which small nuclei are
forced together to make larger nuclei. Energy is released in the
process.
Chain reaction - A series of nuclear fissions that may or may not be
contro­lled. The neutrons that are released cause the reaction.
Critical Mass: Minimum mass of fissile material for a self-s­ust­aining chain reaction

Key Points in Nuclear Energy

Fission:
Used in nuclear reactors & bombs.
Releases 2-3 neutrons per event → can cause chain reaction.
Controlled with control rods (graph­ite­/ca­dmium).

Fusion:
Powers the sun & stars.
More energy per nucleon than fission.
Hard to achieve on Earth due to electr­ostatic repulsion; needs high temp/p­res­sure.

Binding Energy Graph:
Most stable nuclei: mass numbers 40–80 (e.g., iron-56).
Fusion: energy released for nuclei < iron.
Fission: energy released for nuclei > iron.

Australia:
1/3 of world’s uranium, no nuclear power plants.
Relies on coal & gas.

Risks of Nuclear Power:
Radioa­ctive waste—long half-l­ives.
Security of uranium (weapons risk).
Accidents (Chern­obyl, Fukush­ima).

Fusion Power:
Not yet practical; research ongoing (e.g., ITER, JET).
Goal: produce more energy than consumed.

Half-life Formula

Half-life Formula

Activity Formula

Activity Formula
Activity is measured in becque­rel­'s (Bq)
1 Bq = 1 disint­egr­ation per second

Dose Formulas

Dose Formulas
Used to calculate radiation energy absorbed per kg of tissue.
Absorbed dose is measured in J/Kg or Greys (Gy).

Dose Formulas

Dose Formulas
Takes into account Absorbed Dose so that must be calculated first
Equivalent dose is measured in Sieverts (Sv).

Dose Formulas

Dose Formulas
Effective dose (in Sieverts) is found by calcul­ating the sum of equivalent doses multiplied by the weighting factor, W, for each organ affected
e.g: .. = (0.04 x 1) + (0.01 x 1) +.... -> Each multip­lic­ation is a separate organ

Mass Defect

Mass Defect
Used for E = mc2
E = binding energy (J)
m = mass defect
c = 3.0 x 108 ms-1

Electron Volt

1 eV = 1.602 176 x 10-19 J
KeV = 103, MeV =106, GeV = 109, TeV = 1012

Isotopes

Isotope: An atom with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Radioi­sotope: A radioa­ctive isotope that are sometimes unstable.

Atomic Notation

Atomic Notation
Mass Number (A) = Total number of protons & neutrons in the nucleus = Nucleons
Atomic Number (Z) = Number of protons in the nucleus

Radioa­ctivity or Decay

Radioactivity or Decay
Proper­ties:
Alpha -> Heavy, slow-m­oving, double positive charge, low penetr­ation, travels less than 10% of c
Beta -> Lighter than Alpha, fast-m­oving, travels up to 90% of c
Gamma -> High frequency, no charge, high penetr­ation, travels 100% of c

Ionising Radiation

Alpha, beta, and gamma are all ionising radiation
Alpha has the greatest ionising power, followed by beta, then gamma
They are harmful to living things and have enough energy to remove outer-­shell electrons to create ions
There are two types of effects of radiation on living organisms: Somatic and Genetic

Effects of Radiation

Somatic (physical) effects arise when ordinary body cells are damaged and depends on the size of the dose.
Genetic effects arise when the cells in the reprod­uctive organs are damaged, genetic changes that happen in the developed ova or sperm could be passed on to a developing embryo.

Radiation in Therapy

Radioi­sotopes are used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Medical imaging is used in the diagnosis of different diseases.
X-rays, CT, Gamma radiation scans, MRI, PET scans, SPECT are all examples.

Cancer Treatment through Radiot­herapy

Cobalt-60 external beam therapy: Gamma rays from C-60 source is directed through a patient into the tumour site.
Tomoth­erapy
The Gamma Knife: high dose of gamma radiation, treats brain tumours.
Chemot­herapy: radioi­sotope must have a short half-life, emit alpha or beta, and not too much gamma
Brachy­the­rapy: Kills abnormal cells using small wires/­seeds

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