Contamination: GCSE Physics Definition

What is contamination?

In GCSE Physics, contamination is defined as the unwanted presence of materials containing radioactive atoms on other materials or the accidental transfer of a radioactive substance onto or into a material.

As a result of contamination, the small amounts of the isotope in the contaminated areas emit radiation, and the material becomes radioactive. A substance is only radioactive if it contains a source of ionising radiation. Radiation cannot be blocked once an object is contaminated but can be prevented by handling sources safely.

Examples of contamination include when soil and water are polluted as a result of nuclear weapons testing and when there is a breach in a nuclear reactor and radioactive material leaks into the air.

Radioactive contamination should not be confused with radioactive irradiation. Radioactive irradiation is the process of exposing a material to ionising radiation. It is usually a deliberate process, such as the sterilisation of food or medical equipment.

Contamination revision resources to ace your exams

Radioactive contamination is a small topic that is only found in some GCSE Physics and Combined Science courses. Exam boards are very specific about the required definition of contamination. Each exam board organises information on nuclear and radioactivity very differently, so make sure you select the right course. Once you are ready to test your knowledge you can use our specific exam practice questions on radioactivity, such as the questions for AQA GCSE Physics on Atoms & Nuclear Radiation. If you are ready for some general exam revision then you can use the past paper section, for example, the OCR GCSE Physics past papers. 

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