Fruit is irradiated with gamma rays from a cobalt-60 source. This makes the fruit stay fresh for longer.
Explain why gamma radiation is used, rather than alpha radiation.
A shopper says:
'Irradiated fruit is radioactive, so it is dangerous to eat.'
Explain why the shopper is wrong.
Surgical instruments are sealed in plastic packaging and then sterilised with gamma rays.
Explain why the instruments are sealed in the packaging before they are sterilised.
Give one advantage of sterilising plastic syringes with gamma rays instead of heating them.
97 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 6.5 Uses and dangers of radioactivity, covering 6.5.1 Uses of radioactivity, 6.5.2 Dangers of ionising radiation and precautions, 6.5.3 Half-life and radiation dangers, 6.5.4 Safety precautions for radiation exposure, and 6.5.5 Contamination and irradiation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.