Radiation is a heavily misunderstood concept, which can cause unnecessary fear among people. It is very important to understand radiation and know various guidelines on radiation safety.
Radiation is a specific type of energy that can travel long distances and space at the same speed as light. Most of our gadgets and modern-day tech emit radiation in a form of an electromagnetic field. Not only that, but doctors can treat cancer through brachytherapy, radiation oncology, and radiation therapy. But large doses of radiation are bad for the person’s body as they can destroy and affect one’s DNA.
Scientists have devised a formula that determines the rate of heat transfer of radiation in a given situation. The formula is Q/t=σeAT^4, where Q/t is the rate of heat transfer, σ is the Stefan-Boltzman constant (σ=5.67×10−8J/s⋅m2⋅K4), A is the area of the object, and T^4 is the absolute temperature in Kelvin (K).
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Begin by writing down and understanding the formula for radiation. This will help provide a salient outline and structure that you can use as a reference for the final equation.
You must list out the numbers given by the question so that you can easily pinpoint and substitute said numbers for the correct variables. Be sure to have the correct measurements required by the formula for radiation, if it isn’t correct you will need to convert said measurements.
You must now substitute the numbers with their associated variables in the formula to create the equation. Ensure that the missing variable is on the left-hand side of the equation.
After you have solved the radiation equation, you must list out the measurement of the answer on the right-hand side of the number. If the measurement required by the question is different, convert the answer accordingly.
Radiation is a naturally occurring aftereffect of specific materials that will cause damage to an organism’s DNA, which could cause unwanted mutations and cellular damage. The DNA contains instructions and information for specific cells that will allow the said cells to function or do a specific task. If the DNA gets damaged, the cells will not know how to function properly and will cause damage to the host that cannot be undone. Not only that but radiation will also stick to the organism and materials it has made contact with, which means that the organism or material will also be emitting specific levels of radiation. Radiation causes specific diseases like Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI) and Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) All of these issues only occur when the organism is subject to heavy and dangerous levels of radiation, similar to the levels caused by a nuclear missile or an atomic bomb.
There are four main types of radiation, which people categorize based on their ability to penetrate the human body, their overall mass, and the energy the radiation emits. Alpha particles are the first type of radiation one can observe in the natural world. Two protons and two neutrons make up the alpha particle, which makes this the heaviest of all the types of radiation. Not only that, but alpha particles cannot penetrate materials as thick as paper. The second type of radiation is called beta particles. This type of radiation has little mass and only has a single electron. Beta particles are considered as the cosmic radiation that scientists and scholars use to carbon date relics, trees, and fossils. Neutron is considered the third type of radiation, which is the energy stored in the nucleus of the cell. This type of radiation is created by nuclear reactors to produce nuclear energy. Neutron has the highest reach of penetration when compared to all types of radiation. The final type of radiation is called electromagnetic radiation, which has a varied range of penetration and usage. Most medical instruments like X-rays use electromagnetic radiation to function.
A person’s body is adversely affected by radiation, which can harm an organism’s DNA and set off a chain reaction. When given at high doses, radiation therapy disrupts cancer cells’ DNA, either killing them or limiting their ability to proliferate. Cancer cells with irreparable DNA damage either stop reproducing or pass away. The body destroys and gets rid of the harmed cells after they pass away. Cancer cells are not quickly destroyed by radiation therapy. Days or weeks of treatment are needed before the DNA damage is sufficient to kill cancer cells. Cancer cells continue to die for a few weeks or months after radiation therapy is done.
Radiation is an energy that can travel through space and has the same speed as light, which means that almost any object emits a specific amount of radiation. This means that radiation is everywhere, but the more common types of this energy have trouble penetrating through the materials of the object emitting them. Therefore it is important to know and understand the concept of radiation, how to interact with it, and keep one’s safety from radiation.
