List and describe some useful applications of radioactive isotopes Objectives List and describe some useful applications of radioactive isotopes

A. Dating by Radioactivity The half life of radioactive nuclides is used to determine the age of objects Carbon-14 dating is used to determine the age of organic material C-14 half-life = 5730 years Other isotopes are used to date older organic material, rocks, minerals, etc. Radiometric Dating

Radioactive isotopes used to measure the movement of substances Radioactive Tracers Radioactive isotopes used to measure the movement of substances Used in medicine to diagnose diseases Photosynthesis, enzyme activity, reactions, use of substances by cells Movement of groundwater/pollutants

Radioactive isotopes kill rapidly growing tumor cells Cancer Treatment Radioactive isotopes kill rapidly growing tumor cells In some cases, the source is ingested; i.e. Iodine-131 used to treat thyroid cancer An external source (60Co) can be directed towards the tumor