Energy from the nuclei of atoms can be used in medical diagnosis and treatment.Some tumours inside the body can be treated by using either alpha radiation or gamma radiation. Explain why the source of alpha radiation is usually inside the body but the source of gamma radiation can be outside the body – 8024

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1. Alpha radiation has a short range and low penetration, so it needs to be placed close to the tumour to work properly. It is also highly ionising.

   Gamma radiation has a long range and high penetration, so it can reach the tumour from outside the body. It is weakly ionising compared to alpha.

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