using radioactive isotopes

8/13/2019 Using Radioactive Isotopes

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Using radioactiveisotopes

prepared by

Mr.HassanM.O.I.S


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The decay of radioactive isotopes make them useful inmany ways

Uses include determining the ages of natural materialson earth

By tracing the steps of chemical reactions and industrial

processes , diagnosing and treating disease, and providingsource of energy.


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Radioactive Dating

When the atoms of a radioactive isotope decay ,they can changeinto other kinds of atoms

Not all the atoms of a radioactive sample decay at once.

Although you cant predict when any particular nucleus will decaythe time it takes for half the toms to change can be measured.

Half-life of an isotope : is the length of time needed for half of theatoms of a sample to decay

The half life is different for each isotope


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Fossils are the traces or remains of living things that have beenpreserved

The half-lives of certain radioactive isotopes are useful indetermining the ages of rocks and fossils.

Example : as plants grow they use carbon dioxide from the air

Some carbon dioxide contains carbon-14 which become a part ofplants structure the same way carbon-12 does .

The scientists can calculate how many half lives have passed sincethe plant was alive. In this way , they can estimate the age of thefossil and its surrounding rock. This process is called radioactivedating


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Uses in science and industry Like a lighthouse flashing in the night , a radioactive isotope

signals where it is

Tracers are radioactive isotopes that can be followed through

the steps of chemical reaction or an industrial process

Tracers behave the same way of non-radioactive form of anelement

The scientists can follow the tracers , using equipment's that

detects radiations

This technique is helpful for studying reactions in living organisms


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In industry ,tracers used to find a weak spots in metal pipes,especially oil pipelines

When we added to a liquid tracers can be easily detected if theyleak out of the pipes. Engineers use gamma radiation fromradioactive isotopes to look for flaws in the metal.


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Uses in medicine

Doctors use radioactive isotopes to detect medical problems andto treat some diseases.

Tracers injected into the body travel to organs and other structurewhere that chemical is normally used

Using equipment that detects radiation or organ affected

For example tracers made with technetium -99 are used to

diagnose problems in the bones , liver , kidneys , and digestivesystem this is called radiation therapy

Radioactive elements are used to destroy unhealthy cells

Example : iodine-131 is given to patients with tumors of the thyroidgland-gland in the neck that controls the rate at which nutrients aused


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Mr. Hassan Amer


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Nuclear power

Some power plants use radioactive isotopes as a fuel .

The nuclei of certain radioactive isotopes are made to split intosmaller fragments , releasing enormous amounts of energy

Most often using uranium-235 provide electric energy in many partsof the world. Nuclear reactions provide the energy for nuclearsubmarines and other types of ocean vessels


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Safe use of radioactive materials

Radioactive materials are dangerous

Radiation penetrates living tissue ,knocking electrons from atoms thprocess produce particles that then can interface with chemicalreactions in living cells , illness, disease, and even death may resultfrom exposure to radiations

People who work in this field and used this materials, they must

wear a protecting clothing and use in insulating shielding

Materials with low levels of radiations may be buried in landfills .

Isotopes which have long half-life buried in dry underground tunne

In this way, the radioactive wastes can be isolated for manygenerations


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using radioactive isotopes

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