Noetzel 1

James Noetzel
Mr. Gann
Physical Science
5 October 2014
Radiation and Technology
Radiation, however daunting and intricately complex the term
may seem, can simply be described as energy emitted by atoms.
For radiation to occur, an atom must be unstable. When all
the forces are balanced within an atom, this results in a stable
atom. However, if an atom has a nucleus with too much internal
energy, this results in the forces among the particles being
unbalanced, and the atom is unstable. These unstable atoms are
called radionuclides. For an unstable atom to become stable, it
must go through radioactive decay, a process of emitting excess
particles. This process will continue until the atom has become
stable. The energy of these emitted particles is radiation.
There are three different types of radioactive decay, alpha,
beta and gamma. Alpha decay occurs when the ratio of neutrons to
protons is too low, and it usually occurs in larger atoms. Alpha
particles, the particles emitted during alpha decay, consist of
two neutrons and two protons, resulting in a charge of +2. The
emitting of these particles results in a very slight increase in
the

ratio

of

neutrons

to

protons,

and

these

particles

will

continue to be emitted until the atom becomes stable.

Whereas alpha decay was the result of the ratio of neutrons
to protons being too low, beta decay takes place when the ratio
of neutrons to protons is too high. The process of beta decay
causes

neutron

to

turn

into

proton.

Since

neutrons

are

Noetzel 2
essentially protons with neutrons attached to them, these excess
neutrons are each separated into a proton and a neutron, and the
electron is emitted from atom, this emitted electron is called a
beta particle. This emission of the electron leaves the remaining
proton in the nucleus, thus decreasing the ratio of neutrons to
protons.
Gamma decay is a bit different than beta or alpha decay.
Gamma decay occurs when the nucleus of an atom has too much
energy,

so

gamma

rays

are

emitted.

Gamma

rays

are

pure

electromagnetic energy; they do not alter the mass or charge of

the atom. Gamma decay usually occurs right after alpha or beta
decay.
Radiation can be measured by two different kinds of units,
curies (ci) and becquerels (Bq). Becquerels are the unit used by
the SI, and one Bq represents one disintegration per second
(dps). However, since atoms disintegrate so rapidly, oftentimes
prefixes are used with becquerels such as MBq (megabecquerel,
106 Bq) and GBq (gigabecquerel, 109 Bq). In response to this need
for prefixes, the curies unit was created, named in honor of the
scientist

Madam

Curie.

One

curie

is

equal

to

37

billion

disintegrations per second (37 GBq), this unit was based on the
original measurement of one gram of radium. Curies need to be
prefixed occasionally as well, but not as much as becquerels. The
most used prefixes for curies are picocuries (pCi, one million
millionth of a curie, or 1 x 10-12 Ci), used in measuring small

Noetzel 3
amount of radioactivity in typical areas, and megacuries (MCi, 1
million curies, or 1 x 106 Ci), which are used to measure the
mass amounts of radioactivity from nuclear weapons.
Radiation exposure, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent also
must be measured. Units of radiation exposure describe how much
radiation is travelling through the air, and the unit used to
measure this is the roentgen (R). An absorbed dose is the amount
of radiation absorbed by either an object or a person per unit of
mass, and the units used to describe this absorption are the
radiation absorbed dose (rad), used in the US customary system,
and the gray (gy, equal to 100 rad), which is used in SI (Biddle
1). A measurement of the dose equivalent represents the amount of
radiation absorbed (absorbed dose) and the medical, and usually
dangerous,

effects

of

the

radiation.

For

example,

an

alpha

particles are very dangerous if you manage do absorb them, so

they dose equivalent would be much higher than the absorbed dose
(Biddle 11). The units used to describe dose equivalent are the
roentgen equivalent man (rem) and the sievert (Sv, equal to 100
rem), used in the US system and SI respectively.
All matter gives off radiation, you do, I do, the air we
breathe does, everything. However, this radiation is not enough
to

noticeably

giving

off

Technologies

affect

enough
such

us,

but

radiation
as

cell

some
to

everyday

peak

phones,

some
kitchen

technologies

peoples

are

interest.

microwaves,

wifi

routers, and Bluetooth receivers have received flak over the

Noetzel 4
years for emitting what many organizations believe to be too much
radiation. Cell phones seem to be the technology that is getting
the most attention on this issue. This is due to two things: it
is the most widely used of all the technologies, and since cell
phones are placed right next to the head, the radiation waves
emitted from the phone can pass through the tissues surrounding
the brain more easily. Microwaves seems to be in second place for
its dangers, once again since it is more widely used than the
other technologies, excluding cell phones, and also since the
radiation waves are easier to leak out, as they are only covered
by the microwave door.
Amongst the slew of conspiracy theories and accusations of
flawed studies, there is still no conclusive evidence that any of
these technologies harm humans in any ways, such as causing
cancer, tumors, or other diseases.

However, the attention these

technologies have attracted to them for their radiation concerns

have caused the public to be more informed on the topic than
previously before.

Noetzel 5
Works Cited
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2012.

Web.

30

Sept.

2014.

<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/alpha.html>.
"Beta Particles." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 8 Feb.
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Web.

29

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2014.

<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/beta.html>.
Biddle, Wayne. "Absorbed Dose." A Field Guide to Radiation. New
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Biddle, Wayne. "Alpha Particles." A Field Guide to Radiation. New
"Cell

York: Penguin, 2012. 8-12. Print.

Phones and Cancer Risk." National
National

Cancer

Institute.

Web.

Cancer
1

Institute.

Oct.

2014.

<http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellpho
nes>.
"Curies." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 29 June 2012.
Web.

29

Sept.

2014.

<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/curies.html>.
Fischetti, Mark. "Bombarded: Electromagnetic Radiation of Our Own
Making Fills the "Empty" Air." Scientific American 13 July
2011. Print.
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29

Sept.

2014.

<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/gamma.html>.
Kovach, Sue. "The Hidden Dangers of Cell Phone Radiation." Life
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for

Science

and

Education.

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01

Oct.

<https://orise.orau.gov/reacts/guide/measure.htm>.

2014.

Noetzel 6
"Measuring Radiation."
Commission,

NRC:. United States Nuclear Regulatory

28

June

2013.

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01

Oct.

2014.

<http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/healtheffects/measuring-radiation.html>.
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UK

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2014.

<http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-

cancer/cancers-in-general/cancer-questions/radiationmicrowaves-and-cancer>.
Upton, M.D. Arthur Canfield. "Radiation (physics)." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jan. 2013.
Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"Why Are Some Atoms Radioactive?" EPA. Environmental Protection
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25

July

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29

Sept.

2014.

<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/radiation.html>.