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Radioactivity Observations

The ionising effect of radiation can be seen using an ionisation chamber and pico-ammeter. Ions created by the ionising radiation are attracted to the oppositely charged electrode and produce a current proportional to the number of ions discharged at the electrode.A cloud chamber contains air supersaturated with e.g. alcohol vapour and kept at a very low temperature. When air is ionised by ionising radiation the vapour condenses into droplets and can be seen as a visible tracks. Alpha particles from the same source produce straight tracks of the same length. Beta particles for wispy tracks which are fainter than the tracks from alpha particles.

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Specification: AQA Physics (7408), A-level, 3.8.1.2 α, β and γ radiation. Topic: Radioactivity.

Key terms in this lesson

Nuclear fusion
The joining of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy provided the mass number of the product is less than about 56.
Internal energy
The sum of the randomly distributed kinetic and potential energies of the atoms or molecules in a body.

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