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Energy from the nuclei of atoms can be used in medical diagnosis and treatment - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2019 - Paper 1
Question 8
Energy from the nuclei of atoms can be used in medical diagnosis and treatment. (i) Fluorine-18 is a radioactive isotope used in PET scanners for medical diagnosis.... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Energy from the nuclei of atoms can be used in medical diagnosis and treatment - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 8 - 2019 - Paper 1
Step 1
Explain why fluorine-18 must be produced close to the hospital where it is used.
Answer
Fluorine-18 has a short half-life, which means it decays quickly after being produced. This rapid decay necessitates its use as soon as possible after it is generated to ensure that sufficient amounts of the isotope are available for medical diagnostics. If it were produced far away from the hospital, the decay would reduce its effectiveness in imaging.
Step 2
Explain why the source of alpha radiation is usually inside the body but the source of gamma radiation can be outside the body.
Answer
Alpha radiation has a short range and low penetration ability, which means it cannot travel far through matter. As a result, it needs to be positioned close to the tumour to effectively deliver treatment. In contrast, gamma radiation has a long range and high penetration capability, allowing it to pass through the skin and reach internal tissues from an external source. This makes gamma radiation suitable for treatments where the radiation source can be safely positioned outside the body.