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Hazards and uses of radiation, and nuclear power GapFill
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radiation is the low-level radiation always present around us. Sources of this radiation can be either
, such as rocks and cosmic rays, or
, such as nuclear materials used in medicine, nuclear weapons testing, or nuclear power plant accidents.
A radiation dose is , and it is very important to keep annual dosage below a maximum. If this maximum dosage is exceeded, people can get very sick - short-term effects of radiation are called radiation sickness, and long-term effects could include .
However, radiation can also be very useful; it is used in medicine for , and in a variety of industrial applications, such as measuring the thickness of metal sheets and detecting gas leaks.
Nuclear power plants use radioactive materials to produce electricity. During , a large nucleus, such as uranium or plutonium, absorbs a neutron and splits into two smaller nuclei, and several more neutrons are emitted - this releases energy. The neutrons emitted can be absorbed by further nuclei, causing them to split; if this continues to happen, reaction occurs. In a nuclear reactor, this reaction is carefully controlled to maintain a constant rate of reaction and heat produced; however, in an atomic bomb, this reaction is uncontrolled.
During , two light nuclei join together to create a heavier nucleus - this releases more energy than a nucleus splitting, but is very difficult to achieve, requiring very high temperatures and pressures.
A radiation dose is , and it is very important to keep annual dosage below a maximum. If this maximum dosage is exceeded, people can get very sick - short-term effects of radiation are called radiation sickness, and long-term effects could include .
However, radiation can also be very useful; it is used in medicine for , and in a variety of industrial applications, such as measuring the thickness of metal sheets and detecting gas leaks.
Nuclear power plants use radioactive materials to produce electricity. During , a large nucleus, such as uranium or plutonium, absorbs a neutron and splits into two smaller nuclei, and several more neutrons are emitted - this releases energy. The neutrons emitted can be absorbed by further nuclei, causing them to split; if this continues to happen, reaction occurs. In a nuclear reactor, this reaction is carefully controlled to maintain a constant rate of reaction and heat produced; however, in an atomic bomb, this reaction is uncontrolled.
During , two light nuclei join together to create a heavier nucleus - this releases more energy than a nucleus splitting, but is very difficult to achieve, requiring very high temperatures and pressures.