FRAMING
PATHWAYS TO ANSWERS: THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS IN ACTION
STAYING COOL
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DANGERS
OF RADIATION EXPOSURE
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Level:
High School
Duration:
About 1 hour
Lesson
Summary
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Radiation
can affect living and mechanical things on Earth as well as
in space. In the first part of the lesson, students calculate
their yearly exposure rate to harmful high-energy radiation
and cumulative effects over time, and use the information
to evaluate the various sources of radiation that are of greatest
concern for them. In the second part of the lesson, students
learn that spacecraft and other objects in space must be concerned
with the same kinds of radiation that humans are exposed to.
The MESSENGER spacecraft will orbit Mercury and be subjected
to much more intense solar radiation than it would near Earth.
Students discuss the notion that even though some of the radiation
is needed to study the properties of the planet, too much
of it can be quite damaging. |
| Solar activity
cycle as followed by the number of sunspots on the surface of
the Sun. The 11-year cycle has major effects on the radiation
environment on Earth as well as for spacecraft venturing into
the inner Solar System. |
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Essential
Question
What sources of high-energy
radiation do we need to be concerned with in our daily lives?
Essential
Concepts
- Radiation is a process
of emitting energy in the form of particles or waves.
- Ionizing (high-energy)
radiation is particularly dangerous because it can cause severe
damage to humans, such as cancers.
- Most of the high-energy
radiation to which humans are exposed comes from natural sources.
- Spacecraft need
radiation of various kinds to observe objects in space but too
much radiation can be a hazard.
- Understanding the
causes and seriousness of risks can help engineers and scientists
to reduce the likelihood of causing severe problems.
MESSENGER
Mission Connection
MESSENGER will use radiation
of various kinds to study the planet Mercury and its space environment.
However, since Mercury receives up to 22 times the amount of radiation
from the Sun that we receive on the surface of Earth, exposure to
too much radiation is a concern for the mission.
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