Assignment Brief (Answer)

Assignment title:

Applications of Waves and

Radiation (P3,P4, P5,M2, M3,
D2,D3)

Assessor:

L Chambers

Learner name:

Jean Parfait Nguessan

Qualification

BTEC Level 2 First Diploma in Applied Science

Unit(s) covered

Unit 2: Energy and Our Universe

Learning
Outcomes / Aims
covered

Learning aim:

All electromagnetic waves:

Are transvers waves
Can travel through a vacuum, which means that they can transmit energy
and travel through a vacuum (space)
Travel at the speed of light
When someone is watching TV, listening to radio or send a text message,
electromagnetic energy is been used.
The electromagnetic wave can be classified according to their frequency. Every
wave has different uses and functions.
Waves in the electromagnetic spectrum vary in size from very long radio waves the
size of buildings, to very short gamma-rays smaller than the size of the nucleus of an
atom.
Electromagnetic waves can not only be described by their wavelength, but also by
their energy and frequency. The electromagnetic spectrum also include from longest
wavelength to the shortest wavelength.

As the frequency increase, the wavelength gest smaller. Like the waves are too small,
they can interact with cell DNA and atoms. This is called IONISING RADIONTION

NON-IONISING

Dangers and uses of electromagnetic wave

Ionising radiation
Gamma-ray:
Gamma rays cause cell damage and can cause a variety of cancers.
Gamma-ray can be very dangerous when using, as gamma is used to treat cancer
and observing the Universe, it can easily give cancer.

X-ray:

When improperly used they can cause severe burns, cancer,

leukemic, and cataracts.it is used for medical imagery, security.

Ultraviolet:
When ultraviolet in exposure, it increase and develop the skin
cancer. Sun exposure is thought to be responsible for most cases.
It is used discos, tanning salons, counterfeit detections, pollination.
Bees can see in UV to find pollen.

Non-ionising radiation
Visible light:
Too much light can damage the retina in the eye and can also cause
burn.
Visible light is best at getting through our atmosphere which allows us
to see clearly.
Uses: seeing

Infrared:
The danger to people from too much Infra-Red radiation is very
simple overheating, it can burn
Uses: Heating, cooking, TV remotes, night-vision

Microwave:
Prolonged exposure to microwaves is known to cause "cataracts" in
your eyes, which is a clouding of the lens, preventing you from seeing
clearly.
Uses: Telecommunications, RADAR, Cooking

Radio wave

Normally it does not have any danger; sometime large doses of radio
waves are believed to cause cancer
Uses: Telecommunications, TV, Radio

There are three different types of nuclear radiation, which are:

1. Alpha particle
2. Beta particle
3. Gamma
Type of
radiation

What is it?

alpha

Helium
nucleus
(2 proton + 2
neutron)

Beta

It is a single
electron
leaving the
nucleus. It is
also a fast
moving
electron.

Ionizing ability

Penetrating power
(and what stops it)

Relative
speed

Uses

Harmful effects

just because
they are slow
and heavy and
have large
charge, alpha
particles ionise
other atoms
strongly
high

Alpha radiation is
the least
penetrating. It can
be stopped (or
absorbed) by a
sheet of paper.
low

Alpha has a
low speed
compare to
animation
because of
their size.
slow

The alpha
ionisation is
mostly use
for smoke
detectors

Medium

It can penetrate in
air and paper.
It can be stopped
by a thin sheet of
aluminium.
medium

Beta move
fast compare
to alpha
particle.
fast

If it happens in
the part of the
DNA in one of
our cells, then
that call will not
have his function
or will not work
properly before
and it may turn
cancerous and
start multiplying
uncontrollably.
Beta ionise other
atoms that they
pass, but actually
not as strongly as
alpha particles.

Gamma has the

high penetration
than alpha and
beta. Even a small
amount of gamma
can penetrate air
paper or thin
metal. A high
amount of gamma
can be stooped by
many centimetre of
lead or many meter
of concrete.
high

Gamma has a
very fast
compare to
alpha and
beta particles
because the
move the
speed of the
light.
Very fast

Gamma is
mainly use
for treating
cancer and
observing
the
Universe
and also
sterilising
medical
instrument

It can cause cell

damage and also
can cause
cancer.

Gamma
ray

Gamma ray
radiation is an
electromagnet
ic wave
release from
the nucleus

It does not have

any ionising
ability.
Gamma ray
does not ions
any other
atoms, but they
can cause other
atoms to emit
other particles
which will cause
an ionisation.

 Alpha particle
Alpha particle is a fast moving nucleus which also means that they move at the
speed of their size. It contains two protons and two neutrons the same as helium
nucleus. Alpha particles also carry a charge of +2 and strongly interact with
matter.
Alpha particle can also travel a few inches through air and can be easily stopped
be a sheet of paper.
When the alpha particle is in decay it will:
Decrease the atomic number by two
Decrease the atomic mass by four

Beta particle
Beta particle is the same as an electron and it is also a high energy because it is
very fast moving.

Beta particle comes from the nucleus of an atom and it has a charge of -1 and a
very little mass.
Beta particle has a negative charge because it is an electron. It has a high
penetration ability than alpha particles, but compare to gamma ray, it a less
penetration ability.

Gamma ray
Gamma ray is an electromagnetic wave with the shortest wavelength and highest
energy.
Gamma ray has a distinguished from X-ray only because of the fact that it comes
from nucleus. It is the most useful type of radiation for medical treatment, but at
the same time it is very dangerous because it has high penetration ability.

Like all form of ionizing radiation can have a significant health effect on humans,
the potential impact would depend of the kind of radiation and the amount to
which the person is exposed to.
All different type of radiation affects different kind of tissue in our body and also
because of the amount of energy given and of each type of radiation. For
example, if someone is exposed to same amount of alpha and gamma radiation,
then the alpha particle will concentrate their energy in a very small area and then
gamma ray will react by spreading it out.
Ionising radiation can affect any part of our living tissue.
Ionising radiation in form of X-ray used as a machine is mainly used in healthcare
facilities. That radiation is used in healthcare because it is used in diagnostic
devices and for all treatment of tumours and cancer.
When radiation collided with molecules in living cell it can damage them. The cell
can become cancerous if only the DNA of the nucleus of a cell is damaged. The
cell become uncontrollably rapidly divides and causes serious health problem.
Minimizing radiation doses
There are some better ways to reduce radiation doses received. The dose can be
the time of exposure. For example if a medical worker is exposed for two hours,
then the dose would be two times compare to if the exposure was one hours.
Some radiations are minimized by the square law by distance.
Time: the more time the worker is exposed to ionising radiation the
more and larger the worker will receive and the health problem of
radiation will be. It is obvious and clear that if the time of exposure is
reducing, it will also reduce the dose of radiation.

 Distance: distance is also an important way to reduce doses of radiation. If

the distance is increased, then the less dose of radiation would be received.
Shielding: there are some ways for worker to reduce radiation dose
even if they are closer to that radiation. In this case it can only be
minimized by using shielding and wearing protective cloth.
When worker are working with X-rays devices in medicine, the most
important personal protective clothing is to wear lead aprons.
Sometime when eyes are exposed spectacles made of lead glass are

used as protection and I believe that

lead gloves can also be used.

Using film badge Dosimeters in a workplace:

A dosimeter is a device using to measure exposure to ionising
radiation in hospitals or workplaces or in an area.

It is mainly used to estimate the radiation does deposit to the

atmosphere. Radiation have a seriously damage to the human body
and it depends on the relating doses receive. A radiation dosimeter
does not protect workers from radiation, but actually measure the
dose of radiation and detects them. The badge would obviously detect
high energy level, such as: gamma, beta or even X-ray radiation and I
believe that this dosimeter cannot detect low energy of beta radiation
from some isotope, when there is a presence of radiations, the badge
react by becoming dark.

This is a
dosimeter

The harmful effect of Gamma rays!

Gamma rays can easily interact with the cells in our body and will make
non-functional or they can also mess up with our cells DNA and may
cause nutation when they start multiplying. They are lots of cells in our
body, so when gamma rays appear, our body can lose some of them
without any harm. If many of cells disappear, then we can get sick or with
massive dose, we can die.
Gamma radiation is directed used in many cancer treatments.

Reducing gamma radiation

Gamma rays are quite penetrating. Shielding can protect hospital

worker from gamma rays by wearing lead which would be necessary
to block their penetration in our body. And also dont not be exposed
to a radiation for long. Keep your distance further away from the
radiation.
The harmful effect of X- rays!
X-ray is one type of high energy radiation and also has some harmful
effect in our body (including the rest of the EM spectrum), which
include biological effect on humans. The radiation effect can be
extremely destructive to our living tissue and can cause cells DNA
damage and mutation.
If the DNA damaged occur and enter certain states, it will penetrate
other cells and cause more damage.
X-rays can harm the tissue in the bones and can also cause baldness
which means that worker can easily lose their hair on the head. X-rays
can also cause cancer development. The benefit of using X-rays in a
hospital is that, they can if our legs are broken or hurt.
Reducing X-ray radiation

X-rays are quite penetrating. Shielding can protect hospital worker

from gamma rays by wearing lead which would be necessary to block
their penetration in our body. And also dont not be exposed to a
radiation for long. Keep your distance further away from the radiation.

Damage caused by ionising radiation:

Because of the high energy associated with photon with such of short wavelength
radiation, UV, X- rays and gamma radiation can cause and damage the living
tissue. These radiations ionise atoms and molecules in living cells and disrupt
their biochemical processes. The cells may die, or worse, they may become
cancerous. Small change to the DNA in the living body may become
uncontrollably.
Damage caused by non- ionising radiation:
Non-ionising radiation does not penetrate deep into the tissue, but increase the
risk of damage to the skin and eyes.
It also depends on the energy and the exposure time, non-ionising radiation can
cause heat, like photochemical reaction can occur with possible permanent harm.
Exposure should be minimized.

Ionising radiation can break molecules into small pieces. Ion is the
charge of these particles.
Ionising radiation can badly damage substances, specially the living
cells; the ions can take part in a chemical reaction when they are
damage and spreading the damage to other living cells.
Which include?
Ultraviolet radiation, which is found in sunlight and can cause skin
cancer.
X-rays which are used in medical imagery and security
Gamma radiation which are produce by some radioactive material.

I believe that all radiations are useful in home and workplace through electrical
appliance, such as microwaves oven can be used for cooking and treating cancer,
radio waves can be used in TVs, infrared for cooking and night vision, visible light
allows us to see. The all can be used in home and workplace as fan heater, airconditioner, heat pump, hairdryer, vacuum cleaner.
There are some non-ionising radiations used in home, which are:
1. Visible light from lamp
2. Infrared radiation from TV remote control

3. Microwave in a microwave oven

4. Radio wave to a portable radio

Non-ionising radiations have a positive effect on humans because they have very
lower penetration abilities and cannot damage any cells, however microwave
does damage cell by penetrating that cell and make it work un-usual.
Ionising radiations have a very negative effect because they can penetrate our
living cells event at higher or lower doses according to the duration.

Radio waves:
Mobile phone
Television

Radio

Bluetooth

Wireless connection

Microwaves:
Mobile phone
Towers satellite
communication

Visible light:
Infrared:
Nigh vision goggles
How
Remote control

do radio waves work?

Television
fibre optics

Radio waves work by sending invisible signal and waves over millions miles. It
transmits data, conversation, music and much more though rough signal that are
detectable on certain frequencies.
Radio waves use continuous waves because there are lots of different device that
use radio waves at the same time.
Radio waves are essential for mobile communication and they also transmit
information at the speed of light. For this to happen, the speech and signals are
transformed into radio frequency electromagnetic fields, which surround us and
can be found anywhere.

Transmitting of radio wave for mobile communication!!

The way base station and mobile phones transmit their radio waves is similar to
the operation of the loudspeaker. Mobile phones and base station send out
electromagnetic as radio waves, while the loudspeaker transforms electric
current into sound waves.
Mobile phones and base station transmit their radio waves in a horizontal way.
The area just below the antenna would receive a few radio waves and also as the
distance increases, the strength of the radio waves falls sharply.

The transmission of radio waves!!

Radio waves are used to transmit radio and TV programme. Radio waves have
the longest wavelength whi9ch are reflected from an electrically charge layer of
the upper atmosphere, whi8ch means that they can attend receivers that are not
in line of sight because of the curvature of the earths surface.

Radio waves transmission in to television.

Television signals are transmitted by using a transmitter which sends the
information the receiving aerial and tuner by radio waves and uses a high
frequency.
For television to receive signal, it needs to be captured by a satellite dish which is
an antenna. When radio waves are absorbed by an aerial, the electrons in the
aerial vibrate at the same frequency as the radio waves

The transmission of micorwaves in to

mibile phones.
Mobile phone communicates with their base station using microwaves. They are
transmitted by the nearest base station.
Microwave transmits and receive signal from mobile phone by their range.
Microwave can be used to transmit signal and information over a large distance,
even if the receiver if the area have poor signal.
It is certain that Mobil phones use microwaves to receive information and signal
over millions of distance apart, so the signal from the transmitting phone reflect
off surface and walls to communicate with the nearest transmitter mast.

Wireless communication is used as a device technology which can be portable or

non-portable, but the main device used in life today is the portable wireless
which means that people can carry their own device anywhere according to the
wavelength.
The main purpose of using wireless communication is that they can be very easy
or make users easy for them to use it, so there are some important advantages to
use wireless communication in life when our body is in movement:
Mobility
Because radio waves travel freely through the air, wireless in mode of
communication is a very great deal of mobility. People exposed to wireless
communication can, for example listen to radio or music at the beach or
anywhere in this world and also we your are travelling in your can. The
technology becomes greater each year as tall building, like metal object and
other object interfere with radio wave, but the wireless device do not tie the
receiver down to a particular location as the wired ones do.

Convenience

For wired communications, it must be connected to a wall jack to make it able to

work properly. This type of communications starts to become a serious problem
according to the type of location. For example if the jack is in an inconvenient
place or the cable isnt long enough to attend your location, then it will not
receive any information.
Wireless devices do not have any cable to connect, however if the signal strength
is sufficient, then it will work. This also work in mobile computing device; as long
you have the password of the local wireless data network, your smartphone or
laptop connect automatically and as you go further away from the location the
less signal your device will receive and when you leave the location your mobile
device automatically drop the connection and will find a next strong network
signal.
Low cost
Wireless communication network are less expensive to install and keep than a
normal wired system.

Wired

Security

It cannot be lost if you are

using cable, but

Convenience

It has to be connected to a
wall jack and if the cable is
not enough, then you will

Wireless

You can move freely with you

mobile device, but if the signal is
strong enough then you have

have to stay in one place.

the greater signal network.

Cost of
Installation

It is less expensive to be
installed.

More expensive to install.

Range

The range of the wired

communication is very good
because you stay in only one
place, so the receiver do not
have to make some
movement, so the signal
would be the same as it is
and when the receive starts
to loss signal that means that
the cable is been removed.

The range of wireless is not great

because when the receiver is
moving away from the
transmitter, the less signal the
receiver would receive. And
would pick the next strong
signal.

Bandwidth

Like there is not distance for

wired communication
device, the bandwidth is
good compared to wireless.
The signal of using wired
communication is greater.
You cannot loss a signal
unless you remove the cable.

The bandwidth is also good, but

it depends on the type of signal
that your mobile device is
receiving, however as you go
further away from the signal; the
less signal would be received
and pick the next strong signal.

Ability to
broadcast

The broadcast of the wired

communication is greater.
For example if you are using
TALKTALK with a cable. It

The broadcast of wireless

communication is not that great,
but it is mainly used today.

wont loss any signal unless

you take it off. And it also
depends on the type of
broadcast applier.

Other points

If the wired communication

is connected to lots of cable,
it would still give the same
strong signal no matter what
the broadcast is.

It is a very useful system used

and can allow the receiver to
move freely.

Wireless communication does not use any cable to be connected. The

transmitting of data occurs over radio waves, just like Bluetooth and cordless
phones. The main advantages of having wireless device are the mobility of
freedom that comes with it.
There are some amazing differences of using wireless systems:
1. Wireless device can be configured into two ways.
2. Wireless network required equipment like wireless adapter and access
point which are quite expensive. The cost of wireless is high compare to
wired network.
3. The reliability to wireless network is less as compared to wired.

Wired communication just uses cable to be connect to a device, the security of

using wired communication is that you cannot loss you device as you a have no
chance, but to stay in only one place. The cost of the wired communication
system is much lower compared to wireless communication and also wired

communication have a very high performance and better security than wireless
communication.
There are some amazing differences of using wired systems:
1. Wired communication required cable to be connected to each and every
computer in a workplace or at home.
2. The cost of wired communication is less compared to wireless network.
3. Wired communication has the better performance.
4. The security of using wired communication is more better that wireless.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_transmission
http://www.sqa.org.uk/e-learning/NetTechDC01CCD/page_42.htm
http://www.dpstele.com/dpsnews/techinfo/microwave_knowledge_base/micro
wave_communication.php
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/radio-transmission-receptionradio-waves.html
http://www.cdt21.com/resources/guide2.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=communication&es_sm=122&biw=1440&bih
=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=KVFrVPKPCNHcaMHSgJAL&ved=0CAYQ_
AUoAQ&safe=active&ssui=on#safe=strict&tbm=isch&q=communication+using+e
m+spectrum

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mobile+phone+transmission&oq=mobile+ph
one+trans&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j0l5.12711j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&i
e=UTF8&gws_rd=ssl&safe=active&ssui=on#q=communication&safe=strict&ssui=on