Uses of Nuclear Radiation

This lesson covers the practical uses of nuclear radiation as required by the AQA GCSE Physics specification (4.4.2). You need to understand how different types of radiation are used in medicine, industry, and archaeology, and why a particular type of radiation is chosen for each application.

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Choosing the Right Type of Radiation

The type of radiation chosen for a particular application depends on its penetrating power, ionising ability, and half-life. The key principle is:

• The radiation must be able to reach its target (so it needs enough penetrating power).
• The radiation must be detectable or have the desired effect on the target.
• The source must have an appropriate half-life — long enough to be useful, but not so long that it causes lasting contamination.

Radiation	Penetrating Power	Ionising Ability	Typical Uses
Alpha	Very low (stopped by paper)	Very high	Smoke detectors
Beta	Moderate (stopped by aluminium)	Moderate	Thickness monitoring
Gamma	Very high (reduced by lead)	Very low	Medical imaging, sterilisation, cancer treatment