Radioactive elements can be used to understand numerical age of geological materials on time scales as long as (and even longer than) the age of the Earth. In order to determine the age of a geologic material, we must understand the concept of half-life. Half-life is a term that describes time.
How are radioactive isotopes used in geology?
Radioactive isotopes can often be used as tracers of natural processes. Sometimes the isotopes are naturally occurring and sometimes they are added through human activities. Either way, we can use them to uncover Earths mysteries.
How do scientists use radioactive isotopes?
Radioactive isotopes have many useful applications. In medicine, for example, cobalt-60 is extensively employed as a radiation source to arrest the development of cancer. Other radioactive isotopes are used as tracers for diagnostic purposes as well as in research on metabolic processes.
Why are radioactive isotopes important in geology?
Isotopic dating is useful for all types of rocks having a closed system -- geologists assume that the age is an estimate of the time elapsed since the radioactive parent became part of the rock or mineral and that no parent elements or daughter products have been added or lost.
What are types of isotopes?
Isotope Facts There are two main types of isotopes: stable and unstable (radioactive). There are 254 known stable isotopes. All artificial (lab-made) isotopes are unstable and therefore radioactive; scientists call them radioisotopes. Some elements can only exist in an unstable form (for example, uranium).
How are radioactive isotopes harmful?
Breathing in radioisotopes can damage DNA. Radioactive isotopes can sit in the stomach and irradiate for a long time. High doses can cause sterility or mutations. Radiation can burn skin or cause cancer.
How are isotopes used in the environment?
Radioisotopes are used to determine the age of water, whilst stable isotopes can be used to determine the sources history, rainfall conditions, mixing/interaction characteristics of related water bodies, pollution processes, and evaporation processes.
How do we use isotopes in everyday life?
Among such prevalent uses and applications of radioisotopes are, in smoke detectors; to detect flaws in steel sections used for bridge and jet airliner construction; to check the integrities of welds on pipes (such as the Alaska pipeline), tanks, and structures such as jet engines; in equipment used to gauge thickness
What are isotopes give examples?
The number of nucleons (both protons and neutrons) in the nucleus is the atoms mass number, and each isotope of a given element has a different mass number. For example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14 are three isotopes of the element carbon with mass numbers 12, 13, and 14, respectively.
How long do radioactive isotopes stay in the body?
How long are the isotopes radioactive? This varies from isotope to isotope, but medically speaking, these isotopes usually have a half life any where from a few hours to several days. (Meaning that if an isotope has a half life of six hours, then the radiation will dissipate in a total of twelve hours.)
Why are radioactive isotopes harmful to human life?
Breathing in radioisotopes can damage DNA. Radioactive isotopes can sit in the stomach and irradiate for a long time. High doses can cause sterility or mutations. Radiation can burn skin or cause cancer.