How do you explain radiation to a child?

How do you explain radiation to a child?

Radiation : Definition

1. Radiation is the transfer of energy through waves (electromagnetic radiation) or fast traveling particles (particulate radiation).
2. Radiation can be in the form of heat, sound and light.
3. Radiation can be felt or seen like light or detected through special instruments like X-ray.

What does it mean when your exposed to radiation?

Radioactive materials give off a form of energy that travels in waves or particles. This energy is called radiation. When a person is exposed to radiation, the energy penetrates the body. For example, when a person has an x-ray, he or she is exposed to radiation.

What happens if a child is exposed to radiation?

Children are at a greater risk than adults to develop cancer after being exposed to radiation. Increases in the rates of leukemias and thyroid cancers associated with childhood exposure to radiation from A-bomb explosions, nuclear power plant explosions, and medical procedures have been well documented.

What is radiation poisoning for kids?

Radiation sickness, or acute radiation syndrome, is a sickness caused by exposure of a large part of the gastrointestinal tract or of the bone marrow to intensive ionizing radiation. Early symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, followed by a symptom-free period.

What is radiation in simple words?

Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space at the speed of light. This energy has an electric field and a magnetic field associated with it, and has wave-like properties. You could also call radiation “electromagnetic waves”.

What is radiation simple explanation?

Radiation is energy given off by matter in the form of rays or high-speed particles. All matter is composed of atoms. In that process, unstable nuclei may emit a quantity of energy, and this spontaneous emission is what we call radiation.

What do radiation means?

How can you be exposed to radiation?

You may be exposed to more radiation than other people if you:

1. Live at high altitude.
2. Have certain medical tests (such as X-rays or CT scans) or treatments (such as radiation treatment for cancer).
3. Are exposed to radon gas in your home.

What are the symptoms of exposure to radiation?

Possible symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Headache.
• Fever.
• Dizziness and disorientation.
• Weakness and fatigue.
• Hair loss.
• Bloody vomit and stools from internal bleeding.

What should you do if you are exposed to radiation?

If you are indoors during a radiation emergency:

1. Stay inside. Close and lock all windows and doors. Go to the basement or the middle of the building.
2. If possible, turn off fans, air conditioners, and forced-air heating units that bring air in from the outside. Close fireplace dampers.

What is radiation kid definition?

Radiation is energy that moves from one place to another. Light, sound, heat, and X-rays are examples of radiation. The different kinds of radiation fall into a few general categories: electromagnetic radiation, mechanical radiation, nuclear radiation, and cosmic rays.

What is the best definition for radiation?

Radiation is the emission and propagation of energy in the form of waves, rays or particles. Sources of non-ionizing radiation include light, radio, microwaves, infrared (heat), and ultraviolet light.

What does radiation exposure mean?

radiation exposure. a measure of the ionization produced in air by x-rays or gamma rays. It is the sum of the electric charges on all ions of one sign that are produced when all electrons liberated by the radiation in a volume of air are completely stopped, divided by the mass of air in that volume. The unit of exposure is the roentgen .

What does radiant exposure mean?

In radiometry, radiant exposure or fluence is the radiant energy received by a surface per unit area, or equivalently the irradiance of a surface, integrated over time of irradiation, and spectral exposure is the radiant exposure per unit frequency or wavelength, depending on whether the spectrum is taken as a function of frequency or of wavelength. The SI unit of radiant exposure is the joule per square metre, while that of spectral exposure in frequency is the joule per square metre per hertz

How is radiation exposure measured?

Radiation exposure is measured in an international (SI) unit called the gray (Gy). The radiation exposure is equivalent to the energy “deposited” in a kilogram of a substance by the radiation.

What type of radiation is considered an external hazard?

Typically, photon (x-ray and gamma ray) and neutron radiations represent external radiation hazards. Depending on its energy, beta radiation can be an external hazard as well. Alpha radiation is not considered an external hazard for people because it cannot penetrate the outer skin layer.