Question

Excess exposure to nuclear radiation can cause harm. All of the following statements about radiation are true except:

a) Radiation can damage living tissue because of the high energy associated with the radiation.
b) Radiation can damage biological molecules by knocking an electron out of an atom, converting it into a positive ion.
c) Nuclear radiation refers to the high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by a nucleus during nuclear change.
d) Nuclear radiation causes the same level of damage regardless of the source of radiation, α, β or y radiation.
e) Ionization can cause irreparable damage to a biological molecule by weakening or breaking its covalent bonds.

Answer 1

All of the statements except option d) are true about radiation. Different types of radiation have varying levels of damage, and ionization can cause irreparable damage to biological molecules by weakening or breaking their covalent bonds. Option D is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

All of the statements except for option d) are true. Nuclear radiation can cause harm to living tissue by damaging it due to the high energy associated with the radiation, as mentioned in option a).

Option b) is also correct, as radiation can damage biological molecules by knocking an electron out of an atom and converting it into a positive ion. Option c) is true as well, as nuclear radiation refers to high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by a nucleus during nuclear change.

However, option d) is incorrect because different types of radiation, such as alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, have varying levels of damage. For example, alpha particles are the least penetrating but potentially most damaging, while gamma rays are the most penetrating, as mentioned in the provided information. Lastly, option e) is true, as ionization can cause irreparable damage to a biological molecule by weakening or breaking its covalent bonds.