Radioactive isotope

Radioactive isotope

A Radioactive isotope, also known as a radioisotope, is an atom that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transferred to one of its electrons to release it as a conversion electron; or used to create and emit a new particle (alpha particle or beta particle) from the nucleus.

History

The discovery of radioactive isotopes spanned several decades in the early 20th century. Radioactivity was discovered in 1896 by the French scientist Henri Becquerel, while working with phosphorescent materials. These materials glow in the dark after exposure to light, and he suspected that they might also emit penetrating X-rays.

Applications

Radioactive isotopes have many useful applications. In medicine, they are used in diagnostic imaging and treatment of diseases. In industry, they are used in such varied activities as tracing the paths of oil in reservoir rocks, in smoke detectors, and in quality control.

See also

• Isotope
• Radioactivity
• Nuclear medicine
• Radiation therapy

External links

• World Nuclear Association: Radioisotopes
• National Nuclear Data Center

Radioactive isotope Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia