A small source that emits beta particles is placed inside a tumour to destroy it.
Why is a beta source used rather than a gamma source?
Beta particles travel only a short distance, so less healthy tissue is harmed
Beta particles pass through the whole body, so the tumour is treated from all sides
Beta particles are not ionising, so they do not damage healthy cells near the tumour
Beta particles have a much longer range, so they reach every part of the tumour
48 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Physics 6.2 Uses and hazards, covering 6.2.1 Contamination and irradiation, 6.2.2 Half-life and radiation hazards, 6.2.3 Medical uses of nuclear radiation, 6.2.4 Nuclear fission and chain reactions, and 6.2.5 Nuclear fusion. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.