TUTTEE ACADEMY LOGO
broken image
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Subjects 
    • CHEMISTRY
    • BIOLOGY
    • PHYSICS
    • MATHEMATICS
    • PSYCHOLOGY
    • ECONOMICS
    • BUSINESS
    • COMPUTER SCIENCE
    • CHINESE
    • ENGLISH
    • SPANISH
    • IBDP IA / EE
    • IBDP TOK
    • ONLINE TUTORIAL
  • Exam Boards 
    • IBDP
    • IBMYP
    • IGCSE & GCSE
    • HKDSE
    • GCE A-LEVELS
  • Courses 
    • IBDP Tuition
    • GCE A-Level Tuition
    • IBMYP Tuition
    • I/GCSE Tuition
    • HKDSE Tuition
  • Admission Test Prep 
    • PREDICTED GRADE
    • SAT / SSAT
    • UKISET (UK)
    • BMAT
    • UKCAT / UCAT
    • LNAT
    • TMUA (Cambridge)
  • Student Results 
    • IBDP STUDENT RESULTS
    • IGCSE & GCSE MATHEMATICS
    • A-LEVEL STUDENT RESULTS
    • IGCSE STUDENT RESULTS
    • GCSE STUDENT RESULTS (UK)
    • HKDSE STUDENT RESULTS
    • OUR STORIES
  • Question Bank
  • Resources
SCHEDULE A LESSON NOW

I/GCSE Physics: Electromagnetic Radiation and its Harm

Electromagnetic Radiation

· electromagnetic,radiation,igcse physics,physics

Harming Living Cell 

When living cells absorb radiation, damage can occur in different ways in I/GCSE Physics:

  • The heating effect can cause damage
  • Ionising radiation, such as ultraviolet radiation, can damage cells, causing ageing of the skin
  • Ionising radiation can cause mutations in the nucleus of a cell, which can lead to cancer
  • Different amounts of exposure  can cause different effects, e.g. high-intensity ionising radiation can kill cells leading to radiation poisoning

Microwaves

MICROWAVES are strongly absorbed by water molecules, which means microwaves, can be used to heat objects containing water – there is water in all food substances.

Microwave ovens have a metal case and a wire screen door – this reflects the microwaves and protects users by preventing too much radiation from escaping. The door screen also absorbs microwaves, protecting users from the radiation.

broken image

There may be a health risk from the low-intensity microwaves of mobile phone handsets and masts, though evidence for this is disputed because the intensity of the microwaves is too low to damage tissues and microwaves are not ionising.

Ultraviolet

One health risk which is definitely present in our environment is ultraviolet, in sunlight. Not much of the ultraviolet reaching the Earth gets to us because the OZONE LAYER (a thin layer of gas in the Earth’s upper atmosphere) absorbs most of it.

broken image

When it comes to I/GCSE Physics, The energy from the ultraviolet radiation causes CHEMICAL CHANGES in the upper atmosphere when it is absorbed by the ozone layer, but these changes are REVERSIBLE.

Without the ozone layer, the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth would be very harmful to living organisms, especially animals due to cell damage.

Protective Measures

Other physical barriers are used to protect people from ionising radiations:

  • Sun-screens
  • Clothing can absorb most of the UV radiation – preventing skin cancer
  • X-rays are absorbed by dense materials so they can be used to produce shadow pictures of our bones or of objects in aircraft passengers’ luggage
  • Radiographers are protected from radiation by dense materials such as lead and concrete

That's all~ Great!

broken image

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR IGCSE/GCSE PHYSICS COURSES

SIGN UP FOR IGCSE/GCSE PHYSICS TRIAL NOW!
Subscribe
Previous
I/GCSE Physics: Calculation of Wave
Next
I/GCSE Physics: Radiation and Life
 Return to site
Profile picture
Cancel
Cookie Use
We use cookies to improve browsing experience, security, and data collection. By accepting, you agree to the use of cookies for advertising and analytics. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn More
Accept all
Settings
Decline All
Cookie Settings
Necessary Cookies
These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies can’t be switched off.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us better understand how visitors interact with our website and help us discover errors.
Preferences Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you've made to provide enhanced functionality and personalization.
Save