Isotopes and Their Uses

2.4

Isotopes and Their Uses

Definition of Isotope

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

Relative Atomic Mass of Isotopes

Definition of Natural Abundance

The percentage of isotopes present in a natural sample of an element

Formula for Relative Atomic mass

\(\text{Relative atomic mass}= \dfrac{\Sigma(\% \text{Isotope } \times \text{Mass of isotope})}{100}\)

Isotope	Uses
Cobalt-60	To kill cancer cells without surgery Sterilising surgical tools
Iodine-131	Treatment of thyroid disorders
Phosphorus-32	Study of plant metabolism
Uranium-235	Generating electricity through the nuclear power generator
Carbon-14	Estimation of artefacts or fossils’ age
Lead-210	In determining the age of sand and earth layers up to 80 years
Hydrogen-3	As a detector to study sewage and liquid wastes
Sodium-24	In detecting leakage in underground pipes