Other uses of radioactive isotopes Flashcards
1
Q
What is a radioactive tracer used for?
A
- follow the path of a substance through a system
2
Q
What is necessary for a tracer to have?
A
- have a half-life which is stable enough for the necessary measurements to be made and short enough to decay quickly after use
- emit beta or gamma radiation so it can be detected outside the flow path
3
Q
How can the rate of wear of a piston ring ?
A
- fitting a ring that is radioactive
- as the ring slides along the piston compartment, radioactive atom transfer from the ring to the engine oil
- by measuring the radioactivity of the oil, the mass of of radioactive metal transferred from the ring can be determined and the rate of wear can be calculated
4
Q
How can a radioactive metal ring be made?
A
- exposing it to neutron radiation in a nuclear reactors
- each nucleus that absorbs a neutron becomes unstable and disintegrates by beta minus emission
5
Q
What else can tracers be used for, besides medical application?
A
- underground lleaks
- modelling oil resivoirs
- uptake of fertilisers
6
Q
How is metal foil manufactured?
A
- using rollers to squeeze plate metal on a continuous production line
7
Q
How is a detectors used in foil production?
A
- measures amount of radiation passing through the foil
- if too thick, the reading drops
- a singal from the detector is fed to a control system to make the roller move closer together to make the foil thinner
8
Q
What type of source is used for thickness monitopring? WHy are other types not uysed?
A
- beta minus
- long half life
- does not have to regularly be replaced
- activity does not significantly changeq
- alpha would be absorbed and gamma would pass throuigh without absorbition
9
Q
How can radioactive isotopes be used for power?
A
- thermally insulated sealed container
- absorbs all radiation
- a thermocouple attached to the container produced electricity as a result of the container becoming warm through radiation
- needs long half life so it does not need to be replaced
- not very long that may requre too much mass to generate the necessary power