AQA · Physics · 8463
GCSE Physics: Background radiation
Atomic structure · AQA GCSE Physics (8463), specification point 4.4.3.1. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Background radiation", and every card links back to the page it came from. Separate science only. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.
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What is background radiation?
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The low-level ionising radiation that is around us all of the time, from natural and man-made sources.
Name a natural source of background radiation.
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Rocks (or cosmic rays from space).
Cosmic rays that contribute to background radiation come from ?.
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space
Name a man-made source of background radiation.
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Fallout from nuclear weapons testing (or nuclear accidents).
Is fallout from nuclear weapons testing a natural or man-made source of background radiation?
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Man-made.
Name a factor that can affect a person's background radiation dose.
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Their occupation (or their location).
Why might a pilot receive a higher radiation dose than an office worker?
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Occupation affects dose: flying at high altitude exposes them to more cosmic rays.
What unit is radiation dose measured in?
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Sieverts (Sv).
The symbol for the sievert is ?.
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Sv
How many millisieverts are in 1 sievert?
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1000 mSv = 1 Sv.
Convert 250 mSv to sieverts.
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0.25 Sv (divide by 1000).
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