Nuclear Radiation Applications

Penetrating Power

Radiation Exposure  Roentgen (R) unit used to measure nuclear radiation exposure  Roentgen Equivalent, Man REM – unit used to measure dose of radiation relative to effects on human tissue

Radon-222  Radon is a cancer- causing radioactive gas  Comes from the ground  Single atom gas which can easily penetrate many common materials in homes.

Harmful Radiation is IONIZING

Types of EM

Detecting Radiation  Photographic Plates (Film Badges) Becquerel discovered radioactivity  Geiger Counter Ionizing Radiation – radiation energetic enough to ionize matter.  Scintillation Counters Convert scintillating light  elecctric signal

Applications of Radioactivity  Radioactive Dating Organic: C-14  Living organisms incorporate C-14 & C-12 C-14 decays with known half-life Compare amounts of C-14 and C-12 Inorganic: U-238  U-238 decays to stable Pb-206 Ratios of U-238 : Pb-206 to date rocks

Applications of Radioactivity  Chemical Tracers Fertilizers: P-31  Uptake of P-31 in plants help determine the amounts and timing of fertilizing Ground Water: O-18  Biological Tracers C-14 used to follow metabolic pathways

Applications of Radioactivity  Medical Treatments Radiotracers – radioisotope that emits non-ionizing radiation; signals presence of an element.  Thyroid: I-131  Brain Tumors: Tc-99  Cancer: Co-60  Food Preservation Intense beams of Gamma Radiation kill bacteria. Sources: Co-60 and Cs-137