Adapted by Nelson Nuñez-Rodriguez
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By David W. Ball
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| QUESTION | ANSWER |
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1. Define tracer and give an example of how tracers work. |
1. A tracer is a radioactive isotope that can be detected far from its original source to trace the path of certain chemicals. Hydrogen-3 can be used to trace the path of water underground. |
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3. Explain how radioactive dating works. |
3. If the initial amount of a radioactive isotope is known, then by measuring the amount of the isotope remaining, a person can calculate how old that object is since it took up the isotope. |
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5. The current disintegration rate for carbon-14 is 14.0 Bq. A sample of burnt wood discovered in an archeological excavation is found to have a carbon-14 disintegration rate of 3.5 Bq. If the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 y, approximately how old is the wood sample? |
5. 11,500 y |
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7. What is a positive aspect of the irradiation of food? |
7. increased shelf life (answers will vary) |
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9. Describe how iodine-131 is used to both diagnose and treat thyroid problems. |
9. The thyroid gland absorbs most of the iodine, allowing it to be imaged for diagnostic purposes or preferentially irradiated for treatment purposes. |
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11. Which radioactive emissions can be used therapeutically? |
11. gamma rays |