Question

Pretend you are given three radioactive cookies—one alpha, one beta, and the other gamma. Pretend that you must eat one, hold one in your hand, and put the other in your pocket. Which would you eat, hold, and pocket if you were trying to minimize your exposure to radiation?

a) Eat the alpha cookie, hold the beta cookie, pocket the gamma cookie
b) Eat the beta cookie, hold the gamma cookie, pocket the alpha cookie
c) Eat the gamma cookie, hold the alpha cookie, pocket the beta cookie
d) Eat the gamma cookie, hold the beta cookie, pocket the alpha cookie

Answer 1

To minimize exposure to radiation from the given radioactive cookies, it is best to eat the alpha cookie, hold the beta cookie, and pocket the gamma cookie.

Step-by-step explanation:

Alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays are three types of radioactive emissions that differ in their ability to penetrate matter. Alpha particles have low penetration power and can be stopped by a very thin barrier such as a sheet of paper. Beta particles can penetrate a few centimeters into matter, while gamma rays are highly penetrating and can pass through thick layers of most materials, including a few feet of concrete.

To minimize exposure to radiation, it is important to understand these properties. Eating the alpha cookie would minimize exposure as it has low penetration power and will not cause much harm inside the body. Holding the beta cookie would be the best option as beta particles can penetrate through a thin layer of material but are stopped by a thin layer of metal. Finally, pocketing the gamma cookie would be the safest choice since gamma rays are highly penetrating and shielding them with the pocket would reduce exposure.