The study of the energy released in radioactive decay is an important component of A-level physics. It is always popular with students because they get to use the most famous equation in the subject: E = mc2. What many may not realise is that the release of energy from decaying atoms in the body can cause cell damage. The question discussed in this Exam talkback puts Einstein’s famous equation in the context of energy release in the body. It covers a number of related areas, which link together. This makes the question more interesting, and a little more challenging.
The question is taken from the January 2012 OCR Physics B (Advancing Physics) G495 paper, and is reproduced by kind permission of OCR. The answers that follow are the responsibility of PHYSICS REVIEW and have been neither provided nor approved by OCR.
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