What this topic covers
Topic 6: Radioactivity has 4 subtopics:
- Atomic structure and isotopes
- Radiation types, detection and half-life
- Medical and industrial uses of radioactivity
- Fission, fusion and nuclear power
GCSE Edexcel Higher Physics
Topic 6: Radioactivity – GCSE Edexcel Higher Physics revision notes
Revise Topic 6: Radioactivity for GCSE Edexcel Higher Physics, including Atomic structure and isotopes and Radiation types, detection and half-life.
Atomic structure, radiation, half-life and nuclear physics. 29 lessons in 4 subtopics.
29
Lessons
4
Subtopics
Topic 6: Radioactivity lessons by subtopic
29 lessons, grouped by subtopic.
Atomic structure and isotopes
- The Structure of the Atom
- Electron Arrangement and Energy Levels
- Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Neutral Atoms
- Isotopes and Ion Formation
- Relative masses and charges of subatomic particles and positrons
- Early Atomic Models
- The Nuclear Model
- Refining the Model: Bohr and Chadwick
Radiation types, detection and half-life
- Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Neutrons
- Radioactive Decay: Stability and Activity
- Applications and Choosing Radiation Sources
- Understanding Nuclear Equations
- Balancing Nuclear Equations
- Understanding Half-Life
- Half-Life Calculations (HT)
- Radioactive Contamination and Irradiation
- Safety Precautions and Peer Review
- Beta-plus decay, ionisation and changes to proton and mass number
Medical and industrial uses of radioactivity
- Sources of Background Radiation
- Radiation Dose and Measurement
- Half-Lives and Hazards of Radioactive Isotopes
- Nuclear Radiation in Medicine
- Evaluating Risks of Nuclear Radiation
- PET scanners, tracers, irradiation, contamination and radiotherapy
Fission, fusion and nuclear power
More in this course
Go back to the full GCSE Edexcel Higher Physics topic list, or practise this topic with past-paper questions.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the right Topic 6: Radioactivity page for my course?
These notes are for GCSE Edexcel Higher Physics. If you are on a different exam board or tier, choose your course from the Physics page instead, because the content is not always the same.
What should I do after reading the lessons?
Test yourself without the notes open, then try past-paper questions on the same topic. The questions you get wrong tell you which lesson to go back to.