This definitions covers Key Terms within Radiation Detection for GCSE Physics. Revise Radiation Detection in Extra Topics for GCSE Physics with 13 exam-style questions and 11 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 6 of 12 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Topic position
Section 6 of 12
Practice
13 questions
Recall
11 flashcards
📖 Key Terms
- Geiger-Muller (GM) tube
- A radiation detector that works by ionising a gas inside a tube to produce electrical pulses when radiation passes through. Each pulse is counted to give a count rate.
- Count rate
- The number of radioactive decay events detected per unit time, typically measured in counts per minute (cpm) or counts per second (cps).
- Film badge
- A personal dosimeter worn by radiation workers, containing photographic film that darkens in proportion to radiation dose received. Used to monitor cumulative exposure.
- Cloud chamber
- A detector containing supersaturated vapour. Charged particles ionise the vapour, causing condensation along their path and creating visible white tracks.
- Ionisation
- The process of removing electrons from atoms or molecules, creating positive ions and free electrons. All radiation detectors rely on the ionising effect of radiation.
- Dosimeter
- Any device that measures radiation dose received by a person, including film badges and modern electronic dosimeters.
- Activity
- The number of nuclear decays occurring per second in a radioactive source, measured in becquerels (Bq). 1 Bq = 1 decay per second.
Keep building this topic
Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Radiation Detection. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.
Practice Questions for Radiation Detection
What instrument is commonly used in school laboratories to detect ionising radiation?
Explain how a Geiger-Muller (GM) tube detects ionising radiation.
Quick Recall Flashcards
13 questions on Radiation Detection — practise free
Instant marking, adaptive difficulty, and 11 spaced repetition flashcards. Free until your GCSEs.
Try PrepWise Free