SMK TAT BENG

CHAPTER 10 RADIOACTIVITY

10.3 UNDERSTANDING THE USES OF RADIOISOTOPES

UNDERSTANDING THE USES OF RADIOISOTOPES
• Isotopes that are not stable and go through radioactive decay
are known as radioisotopes.
• Table below shows several examples of radioisotopes
together with their nuclide notations and their stable isotopes.
UNDERSTANDING THE USES OF RADIOISOTOPES
• Radioisotopes exist naturally. Examples of such radioisotopes
are uranium-238, 238, 92U and radium-226, 226,88Ra.
• Artificial (buatan) radioisotopes are manufactured mainly by
irradiating (menyinarkan) substances with neutrons in a
nuclear reactor. They can also be manufactured by
bombarding (membedil) a stable nucleus with high-energy
particles such as protons or neutrons. For example, the
radioisotope sodium-24 is produced when a magnesium
nucleus is bombarded by a neutron. The equation
representing the process is shown

• Radioisotopes have many practical uses in the fields of

medicine, agriculture, industry and archaeology. Most of
these use artificial radioisotopes.
 Radioisotopes in Medicine
As a tracer (penyurih)
• When a small amount of a weak radioisotope is injected
into a system, its progress can be traced by radiation
detectors such as a Geiger-Muller counter' or other
radiation detectors.
• Blood clots can be located by injecting radioactive
sodium-25 into the bloodstream and using a detector to
find where the flow stops.
• Phosphorous-32 is used to detect suspected brain
tumours before they become dangerous.
• Iodine-131 is added to the human body to study its
uptake by the thyroid gland.
 Radioisotopes in Medicine
Radiotherapy
• Gamma rays emitted by cobalt-60 can be used to kill the
cancer cells in a malignant (memusnahkan) tumour of a
cancer patient.
• In order to prevent healthy cells from being destroyed, the
cobalt-60 source is rotated in a circle with the cancer cells
positioned at the centre of the circle so that they can receive
the maximum amount of radiation. (untuk menghalang sel-sel
yang sihat daripada turut dimusnahkan, sumber kobalt
diputarkan dalam satu bulatan dengan sel kanser berada
tepat-tepat pada pusat bulatan itu supaya ia menerima
jumlah maksimun sinar gamma tersebut)
• The healthy cells will only receive a minimum amount of
radiation and thus prevent them from being destroyed.
 Radioisotopes in Medicine
STERILISATION
• Gamma rays emitted from cobalt-60 can be used to sterilise
bandages, dressings, syringes and other equipment that must
be germ-free.
• Sterilisation by exposure to gamma rays is quicker, more
reliable (berkesan) and cheaper than sterilisation by heat.
 Radioisotopes in Agriculture
As a tracer
• Tracers (penyurih) are used to determine the amount of
fertiliser required for a crop.
• Radioactive phosphorous-32 is added to the fertiliser and
its rate of uptake (kadar penyerapan baja) by the plant
can be determined using a G-M counter.

As a preservation agent (agent pengawat)

• Fruits and foodstuff are irradiated (didedahkan kpd
sinaran radiaaktif) to increase their shelf-life.
• Potatoes treated with low doses of radiation can be
prevented from sprouting (bertunas).
 Radioisotopes in Agriculture
As a mutating agent (agen mutasi)
• Gamma rays are used to produce new species of plants.
• This is done by controlled exposure of the seeds to small
doses of gamma rays so that the cells in the seeds can
undergo mutation.
• This process may produce species which are more resistant
(kuat) and more productive (produktif)

As a sterilising agent (agent pensterilan)

• Radioisotopes are used to control pests which damage crops.
• Male insects are bred (dibiakan) and irradiated (didedahkan)
to sterilise them (menjadikan mereka mandul).
• These sterilised males are then released to breed as usual but
without any offspring.
 Radioisotopes in Archaeology
• Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contains two isotopes: the
common, stable carbon-12 and the rare radioactive carbon-14.
• Living plants absorb and give out carbon dioxide. This causes the
percentage of carbon-14 present in the plant tissues to remain
constant.
• When a plant dies, the carbon-14 trapped in it decays by beta
emission with a half-life of 5730 years.
• By measuring the activity of carbon-14 in archaeological samples and
comparing it to the activity of living organisms, the age of the sample
can be determined fairly precisely. (usia sesuatu sample bahan purba
ditentukan lebih tepat dgn mengukur keaktifan karbon 14 dlm sample
arkeologi dan membandingkannya dgn keaktifan organisma hidup)
• This method is called carbon dating and is used by archaeologists to
determine the age of ancient remains such as fossils.
 Radioisotopes in Industries
Thickness control
• Radioisotopes are used in industries to control the thickness
of materials such as plastic and sheet metal while they are
being manufactured.
• In Figure below, a strontium-90 source (which emits beta
particles) is placed on one side of the plastic sheet and a G-M
counter on the other side.
 Radioisotopes in Industries
Thickness control
• The beta particles which penetrate the plastic sheet are
measured by a G-M counter.
• If the level of radiation detected by the G-M counter is high,
the sheet is too thin (nipis). If the level is low, the sheet is too
thick. The machine making the plastic sheet will then adjust
the thickness automatically.
 Radioisotopes in Industries
Examining the contents of canned substance
• The contents of a substance in a tin can be examined using a
beta particle source, as shown in Figure below.
• If the level of radiation detected by the G-M counter is low, it
means that the contents in the tin is too much.
• If the level of radiation detected by the G-M counter is high, it
means that the contents in the tin is too little.
 Radioisotopes in Industries
Tracing leakages in pipes
• To detect leakages of pipes laid underground, a little
radioactive sodium-24 is dissolved in the water that flows in
the pipes.
• A G-M counter is then moved over the pipes according to the
layout plan of the underground pipes.
• The area that shows an unusually high level of radiation
would indicate the position where the leakage takes place.
• Sodium-24 is used in the process because
• sodium-24 has a very short half-life and thus, loses its
radioactivity in a short period of time,
• sodium-24 emits beta particles which have a relatively low
level of penetration power.
 QUESTION
A factory packs thick paper boxes with breakfast cereal. The
boxes are then placed on a conveyor belt that passes over a
radioactive source with a G-M counter above it.
• Explain how the radioactive source can be used to
determine whether or not the box is full of cereal.
The level of radiation detected by the G-M counter would be
high if the box is empty or not full as the radiation can pass
through the box but not the cereal

• Which radioactive source is the most suitable for the above

process — alpha, beta or gamma?
Beta source
 QUESTION
A factory packs thick paper boxes with breakfast cereal. The boxes are
then placed on a conveyor belt that passes over a radioactive source
with a G-M counter above it.
• Explain why the other unselected sources are not suitable.
Alpha source is not suitable as it is stopped by the thick paper box.
Gamma source is not suitable because gamma rays can pass
straight through the box as well as the cereal, thus causing the G-
M counter to record the same level of radiation irrespective of
whether the box is full or empty.

• How would you determine whether the cereal you bought is

contaminated or not with radiation?
By placing it under a G-M counter to determine the count rate, if
any, apart from that due to background radiation.
THE
END