(a) What are radioactive isotopes? Give two examples of radioactive isotopes.
(b) Give any two uses of radioactive isotopes.
Answers
Answer:
A) radioactive isotope, also known as a radioisotope, radionuclide, or radioactive nuclide, is any of several species of the same chemical element with different masses whose nuclei are unstable and dissipate excess energy by spontaneously emitting radiation in the form of alpha, beta, and gamma rays.
Examples = hydrogen, the lightest element, has three isotopes with mass numbers 1, 2, and 3.
cobalt-60 , Iodine-131 , carbon 14
B)In medicine, for example, cobalt-60 is extensively employed as a radiation source to arrest the development of cancer.
Iodine-131 has proved effective in treating hyperthyroidism.
Instability of Nucleus yields Radiation
Explanation:
- If an isotope has an unstable nucleus that breaks down to emit radiation, then these are what we call radioactive isotopes, also known as radioisotopes.
- Radioactive isotopes have an unstable nucleus that decays or emits excess energy or radiation until the nucleus becomes stable. They can be naturally occurring or artificial isotopes of an element.
Carbon-14 - Used for studying the metabolic changes in diabetic, anaemic patients.
Sodium-24 - used for Studying the Blood Circulation
- Uses of radioactive Isotopes-
a.) In order to test the integrity of boilers and aircraft parts we use Iridium-135
b.) To determine the moisture content of the soil which is very important for road and industry building we use Californium-252