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ENTER

Prepared by:
Aliff Firdaus Bin Suhaimi
407/507
13133
Generous
En. Nik Nazim

radioisoto
pes?

M
A
I
N

applicati
ons

proper
ties
exerci
ses

R
A
D
I
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S
O
T
O
P
E
S

Isotopes are atoms of an element

with the same number of protons
but different number of
neutrons.

or
Isotopes of same element
have the same proton
number, Z but a different
nucleon number, A.

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Others are produced artificially by

transmutations in a nuclear reactor:a) A stable nucleus is bombarded by high speed
alpha particles, neutrons or protons to produce
artificial radioisotopes.
b) The bombarding particles are trapped in the
nucleus creating a radioactive isotopes.
RADIOACTIVE

EXAMPLES

Some radioisotopes
exist naturally
RADIOISOTOPES

ISOTOPES

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52
25

Mn

14
6

C
24
11

Na

123
53

30
15

59
26

Fe

51
24

Cr
7
4

Be
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PROPERTIES

Emits radioactive
radiation

Radioactive
radiations can
cause mutations

Radioactive radiations
have different
penetrating ability
with materials of
different thickness &
densities

Radioisotopes have the

same chemical
properties as nonradioactive isotopes of
the same element

Radioactive
radiations can
ionise molecules

Radioactive
radiations can
kill cells

Its activity
decrease with
time

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APPLICATIONS OF RADIOISOTOPES
IN
DIFFERENT FIELDS

MEDICINE

INDUSTRIES

AGRICULTURE

ARCHAEOLOGY

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COBALT-60

IODINE

The radioisotopes cobalt-60

is used to:
Destroy cancer cells in
radiotherapy
Sterilise medical
equipments

The radioisotopes
caesium-137 is used to
destroy cancerous tissue

CAESIUM-137

Patients are given an intravenous injection of iodine123 with a half-life of 13 hours or iodine-131 with a
half-life of 8 days. A detector is placed near the
thyroid to read its activity or function.
A solution of sodium iodide labelled with radioactive
iodine is also used to treat an overeactive thyroid
gland and certain kinds of thyroid cancer.

Sodium-24 is injected
into the bloodstream to
detect the position of
blood clots or
thrombosis in the blood
vessels.

IRON-59

RADIOISOTO
PE

HALFLIFE

APPLICATIO
N

SODIUM-24

15
HOURS

PLASMA
VOLUME

IODINE-131

8 DAYS

THYROID
FUNCTION

IODINE-125

60 DAYS

VEIN FLOW

SODIUM-24

Brain tumour can be

detected and treated
using phosphorus-32.
PHOSPHORUS-24

Iron-59 is a suitable
tracer to study the
circulation of iron in
the blood.

The uses of a few

radioactive
isotopes for
diagnosis.

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1. In the manufacturing
of paper, plastics,
clothes & metal
sheets, the thickness
of each material must
be control.
a) This is done by
placing a
radioactive source
at one side of the
material & a
detector on the
other side.
b) For sheets of
metal, gamma
rays are used. For
plastics, clothes &
paper, beta
paticles are used.
c) The detector
registers a higher
count if the
material is too
thick. As a result,
a computer will

RATE
METER

MONITORI
NG USING
COMPUTE
R

DETECT
OR

MATERIA
L

RADIOACTIVE
SOURCE (BETA
PARTICLE OR
GAMMA RAY)

Figure 5.1

2. In order to ensure
that containers such
as cans & food
packages are filled to
the specified amount,
a similar mechanism
as shown in Figure
5.1 is used.
3. When a container is
inadequately filled,
the detector will
register a higher

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4. Testing for leakage of

underground pipes can
be done by adding
sodium-24 into the
water in the storage
tank.
a) By moving a G-M
tube above the
underground pipe, a
leakage can be
detected.

b) This happens when

the tube detects a
higher reading.
5. A source of gamma rays
can be used to take
photographs of metals
to reveal cracks.
6. Radioisotopes are

7. Synthetic clothes tend to

attract dust & dirt from the
surrounding air when the
clothes are electrostatically
charged. Alpha particles
are used to neutralise the
charges on the clothes. The
alpha particles ionise the
air particles into positive &
negative ions which
neutralise the clothes.
8. Gamma rays kill germs that
cause food to spoil quickly.
By exposing certain food to
gamma rays, the food can
kept for a longer period of
time.

I
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E
S

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Pests can be kill using

radioactive rays especially
gamma rays.

The population of pests can

be controlled by exposing
them to a low dosage of
gamma rays. These rays
induce mutation in the
pests which stops them
from reproducing.

AGRICULTURE

Radioactive radiation is also

used to induce genetic
mutation in plant in order
to produce a better strain
which has a higher
resistance against diseases.

Nitrogen-15 &
phosphorus-32 can be used
as tracers in study of
effectiveness of fertilisers.

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Mass
(g)

The method usually used for this

purpose is called carbon dating:
a) Cosmic radiations from outer space
Decayed
uranium-238
knock out neutrons from nuclei in
the Earths upper atmosphere.
b) The neutrons then collide with
nitrogen nuclei to produce carbonRemaining uranium14.
238
Time
c) Plants & animals absorb & give out
(years)
carbon-14 when they are alive.
Figure 5.2 The
d) The half-life of carbon-14 is about
decay of uranium5730 years. So there is negligible
238
disintegration over the lifetime of
most organisms.
Measuring geological time:
e) However, when they die, no more
a) During the formation of rocks, carbon-14 is taken in. it have
some radioisotopes (uranium- already absorbed starts to decay to
238) are trapped.
nitrogen-14 by beta emission.
b) As the decay continues, the f) The percentage of carbon-14 in a
proportion of uranium-238
dead plant or animal falls as the
decreases slowly resulting in
carbon-14 disintegrates.
the equally slow growth of itsg) After 5730 years, the percentage of
carbon-14 falls to 50% of its initial
product, lead-206.
value.
c) An estimate of the age of the
rock can be inferred from theh) By comparing the activity of the
dead sample with the activity of the
relative proportions of lead &
same mass of living sample, its age
uranium in the rock.
can then be estimated.

In the field of
archaeology, it
is important to
determine the
age of
artefacts.

ARCHAEOLOGY

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EXERCISES
1.It is found that 98.4375% of carbon-14 in
an archaeological artefact has
disintegrated. Determine the age of the
artefact if the half-life of carbon-14 is 5600
years.
A.56 000 years
B.33 600 years
C.19 650 years
D.45 808 years
ans
wer

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B
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EXERCISES
The table shows the half-lives of the
radioisotopes G, H, I and J.
Radioisotope

Half-life

9 days

62 days

82 days

5.5 years

2. Which of the radioisotopes is not suitable as

a tracer in human body?
A. G
B. H
C. I
D. J

ans
wer

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D
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EXERCISES
3. Why sodium-24 is used as a tracer to detect
pipe leakage?
i. It decays by emitting beta particles
ii. It can react with water
iii. It decays to a harmless element in a
relatively short time
iv. It is compatible with G-M tube
A. i and ii
B. iii and iv
C. i and iii
D. i and iv
ans

wer

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C
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EXERCISES
4.Which of the following
radioisotopes is used in smoke
detectors?
A.Sodium-24
B.Americium-241
C.Cobalt-60
D.Phosphorus-32
ans
wer

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B
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