Physical Scienc Uses of radioactive material

Nuclear Fusion The combining of small atomic nuclei to produce larger ones

Nuclear Fusion This is the reaction taking place on the sun We have duplicated it in hydrogen bombs

Nuclear Fusion This is the reaction taking place on the sun We have duplicated it in hydrogen bombs No earthly materials will contain it Produces huge amounts of energy Fusion of 1g of hydrogen = 20 tons of coal Temperature can reach up to 50,000,000  C

Nuclear Fusion This is the reaction taking place on the sun We have duplicated it in hydrogen bombs No earthly materials will contain it Produces huge amounts of energy Fusion of 1g of hydrogen = 20 tons of coal Temperature can reach up to 50,000,000  C 2/1 H is very plentiful and easy to obtain Helium is inert and biologically stable Much work is being done on this reaction

Isotopic Dating Many naturally occurring isotopes are radioactive. This means they decompose (decay) on their own The rate of decay is constant

Isotopic Dating Half Life – The time it takes for one half of a substance to decompose

Isotopic Dating Half Life – The time it takes for one half of a substance to decompose

Isotopic Dating ParentDaughterHalf Life Carbon-14Nitrogen years Uranium-235Lead million years Uranium-238Lead-2064,470 million years Potassium-40Argon-401,280 million years Thorium-232Lead-20814,010 million years Rubidium-87Strontium-8748,800 million years Iodine days Iron days tritium years sodium hours technetium hours

Nuclear Power in the US There are 109 nuclear power plants 22% of our power is nuclear

Type of Uranium 3-4% U 238, for reactors, 90% for bomb Not possible to get an explosion

Benefits of Nuclear Power Very Economical (Cheap) Environmentally Clean (no emissions)

Problems With Nuclear Power Production of Nuclear Waste Possible Melt Down and Leakage

Therapeutic Treat or cure a disease with Radiation

Diagnostic Used to obtain information about a patients health