In 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan suffered an accident that released radioactive material. In the following weeks, monitoring stations thousands of kilometers away in North America detected a slight increase in background radiation.
What was transported in the atmosphere across the ocean to cause this increase in background radiation?
α\alphaα-particles
β\betaβ-particles
γ\gammaγ-rays
radioactive isotopes
484 exam-style questions on CIE IGCSE Physics 5.2 Radioactivity, covering 5.2.1 Background radiation and measuring count rate, 5.2.2a Alpha, beta and gamma emission, 5.2.2b Deflection and ionising effects of nuclear radiation, 5.2.3a Radioactive decay, 5.2.3b Effects of decay on the nucleus and decay equations, 5.2.4a Half-life, 5.2.4b Choosing isotopes for applications, and 5.2.5 Effects of ionising radiation and safety precautions. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.