Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

For a cardiac pacemaker, discuss whether the radioactive source should be an alpha, b

waqar_lfc

For a cardiac pacemaker, discuss whether the radioactive source should be an alpha, beta or gamma emitter?

Thanks

Reply 1

Cora Lindsay

Original post by waqar_lfc

For a cardiac pacemaker, discuss whether the radioactive source should be an alpha, beta or gamma emitter?

Thanks

Think about the properties you'd want from a pacemaker source, and about the properties of the different types of ionising radiation

Reply 2

Lyndon1504

Original post by waqar_lfc

For a cardiac pacemaker, discuss whether the radioactive source should be an alpha, beta or gamma emitter?

Thanks

Did you work this one out?

Reply 3

MathematicsKiller

Just a guess... But Gamma would be best.
Alpha and beta are too ionising, whereas gamma just passes through everything?

Reply 4

Cora Lindsay

Original post by MathematicsKiller

Just a guess... But Gamma would be best.
Alpha and beta are too ionising, whereas gamma just passes through everything?

Sorry- bad guess.

If gamma 'passes through everything' (it doesn't quite do this, but it transfers energy only slowly to the medium through which it travels), it will leave the pacemaker, taking the energy with it, so there won't be any energy to power the pacemaker. Also, the gamma will give not just the person with the pacemaker a hefty radiation dose, but also people near them. You also don't get pure gamma emission- it always accompanies alpha or beta decay processes.