uses of isotopes

All isotopes of a substance have the same chemical properties and behave in an identical manner. The advantage of a radioisotope is that its position can be detected very easily by the radiation which it emits. It has wide applications in various fields lik..

Hydrogen gas in its natural state has 3 isotopes of atomic mass 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Thus average mass works out to be 1.008 a.m.u rather than 1 a.m.u. This in turn complicates the atomic masses of all other element..

The optical microscopes developed in physics are extensively used in the study of biological samples. Electron microscope, X-rays and radio isotopes are used widely in medical scienc..

Radioisotopes are frequently used as tracers or tagged atoms in various fields. In tracer technique, a radioactive isotope is added to the reactants and its movement is studied by measuring radioactivity in different par..

(i) Radioactive dating This gives us an approximate age of the rock or material containing the radioactive atoms. For e.g., A measurement of a fraction of uranium atom which have decayed into lead (by knowing the half life of uranium) tells us how old the rock is. (ii) Radiation from space conve..

a) Metal casting can be tested for cracks by putting them in baths of radioactive salts. The castings are then inspected for radioactivity to find out any penetration of salts into cracks. Absence of salt penetration indicates absence of cracks. b) Radioactive isotopes can be used..

This law was proposed by Louis Proust in 1799, which states that: 'A chemical compound always consists of the same elements combined together in the same ratio, irrespective of the method of preparation or the source from where it is taken'. For example, water is always found to contain only two e..

The mass of 1/12 th 12 C isotope of carbon is now the standard used for defining one atomic mass unit (a.m.u). It is equal to 1.66 x 10 -24..

g - rays emitted by the radioisotopes can be used in the treatment of cancer. These radiations tend to destroy cancerous cells and the way can arrest the spreading of the cancerous cells. 6 0 CO is used in the treatment of tumours and cancers...

In order to find if blood is circulating to a wound or not, a radioactive isotope is injected into the blood stream. After a time period, blood from the wound is examines for its radioactivity. If no radioactive isotope is detected, it means that passage of blood is hindered. T..