Nuclear and Radiochemistry
2018
This chapter covers the properties, nuclear reactions, and applications of radioisotopes. Five types of radioactive decay are reviewed including: alpha emission, two types of beta emission (electron and positron), electron capture, and gamma emission. How each type of decay process affects the parent radioisotope and determines the daughter isotope formed is discussed. Nuclear instability is related to the number of protons ( Z ) and the number of neutrons ( A − Z ). The relationship of radioisotope half lives to radioisotope dating methods is explained. Different detection methods for radioisotopes are described. Nuclear fission and fusion reactions are explained and use of fission in nuclear energy is detailed. Radiation safety procedures used in industry and research laboratories are stressed and the exposure levels of natural radioactivity are described. The applications of radioisotopes covered are: electron capture detectors, smoke detectors, radioisotope tracers, nuclear imaging, and food and gemstone “irradiation.”
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