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Uses of Nuclear Chemistry (and half life post lab)

Uses of Nuclear Chemistry (and half life post lab). Half Life. Def: Time it takes for the amount of a radioactive substance to decay by half. Example Problem.

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Uses of Nuclear Chemistry (and half life post lab)

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  1. Uses of Nuclear Chemistry(and half life post lab)

  2. Half Life • Def: • Time it takes for the amount of a radioactive substance to decay by half

  3. Example Problem • The half-life of isotope X is 2.0 years. How many years would it take for a 4.0 mg sample of X to decay and have only 0.50 mg of it remain?

  4. One More Example…. • The half-life of Po-218 is three minutes. How much of a 2.0 gram sample remains after 15 minutes?

  5. Back to the NUCLEAR! • A common misconception is that the products of nuclear chemistry is all bad. • There are many practical uses for nuclear chemistry!

  6. Uses of Nuclear Chemistry Around Your Home • Smoke Detectors: • Contain a small amount of americium-241 • Power • Nuclear power accounts for 11% of the world’s energy needs

  7. Agricultural Applications • Radioactive Tracers • Are used to help scientists understand the chemical and biological processes in plants. • Ex: Phosphorus-32 is injected into a plant (looks identical to phosphorus-31) • Scientists can then use a Geiger counter to detect the movement of phsoporus-32 in the plant • Radioactive Tracers Commercialhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBoD_zRfz_4

  8. Food Irradiation • Method of treating food in order to make it safer to eat and have a longer shelf life. • Done by exposing food to the gamma rays of a radioactive isotope. Cobalt-60 is commonly used. • The energy from the gamma ray passing through the food is enough to destroy many disease-causing bacteria or those causing the food to spoil.

  9. Food Irradiation • Can slow down the ripening of food, so foods won’t ripen before they reach the store • Used widely in Europe, Mexico and Canada, however the US has been hesitant to adopt • It does this without affecting the quality of the food!

  10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKcD3ejDze4&feature=related

  11. Archaeological Dating • Carbon-14 dating • All organisms contain a given concentration of carbon-14. • When an organism dies, it has a specific ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12 by mass in the cell’s of its body.

  12. Archaeological Dating • At the moment of death, no new carbon-14 is metabolized. • Carbon-14 is decayed at a constant, predictable pace

  13. Nuclear Medicine • Branch of medicine that uses radiation to provide information about the functioning of a person’s specific organs or treat disease.

  14. Diagnostic Techniques • Radioactive Tracers • Emit gamma rays in the body • Can be given by injection, inhalation or orally

  15. Radionuclide Therapy (RNT) • Rapidly dividing cells are especially sensitive to damage by radiation • This is why cancerous growths can be controlled or eliminated by irradiating the area containing the growth.

  16. Radiopharmaceuticals • Can be taken in multiple ways- mouth, injection, placed into the eye or bladder • Used in small amounts for diagnostic purposes • Used in larger amounts to treat diseases like cancer

  17. Nuclear Fission and Fusion • Nuclear Fission • Nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of the atom splits into smaller parts • Nuclear Fusion • Process where 2 or more nuclei join (fuse) together

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