Home / iGCSE / Coordinated Sciences / P5.2.5 Applications and safety precautions Paper 1 |IITIAN ACADEMY

CIE iGCSE Co-Ordinated Science P5.2.5 Applications and safety precautions Exam Style Questions Paper 1

Question

A scientist works with a radioactive source that emits gamma (\(\gamma\))-rays. The scientist takes several precautions.

Which precaution does not give the scientist any protection?

A. Keep a lead screen between the scientist and the source.
B. Use a detector to measure the count rate of the source.
C. Only use the source for a short period of time.
D. Have a large distance between the scientist and the source.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Using a detector to measure the count rate of the source does not provide any protection against radiation—it is simply a monitoring device to measure the level of radiation. In contrast, lead shielding (option A) blocks gamma rays, limiting exposure time (option C) reduces the total dose received, and increasing distance (option D) reduces radiation intensity according to the inverse square law. Therefore, option B does not offer protection.
Answer: (B)
Scroll to Top