CHEM.14.C
The student is expected to give examples of applications of nuclear phenomena such as nuclear stability, radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging, solar cells, and nuclear power.
Knowledge and Skills Statement
Science concepts. The student understands the basic processes of nuclear chemistry.
Further Explanation
There are several naturally occurring elements that are always radioactive, such as Radium, Radon, and Uranium. Other naturally occurring elements have radioactive isotopes, such as Carbon-14, Hydrogen-2 (deuterium), and Hydrogen-3 (tritium). Elements 61-70 and 93-118 are radioactive elements that were made in physics labortories.
In medicine, ionizing radiation (high-energy radiation that displaces electrons from atoms and molecules) is used to destroy cancer cells. Radiotherapy can also be used to treat benign (non-cancerous) tumors and other conditions, such as thyroid disease and some blood disorders.
In an MRI machine, electromagnetic radiation is used to produce images of internal structures of the body for the purpose of accurate diagnosis.
Solar cells directly convert the energy of light into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect.
Electricity can be generated by power plants that use the heat from fission to turn an electromagnet.
Supporting Information
Research
Ledingham, Ken, Paul McKenna, and Ravi Singhal. "Applications for Nuclear Phenomena Generated by Ultra-Intense Lasers." Science 300, no. 5622 (2003): 1107-1111. doi:10.1126/science.1080552.
Summary: Many lasers, including tabletop varieties, now have pulse powers greater than the electrical power generated by all the world's power plants combined. When this power is focused to dimensions of a few microns, laser-driven nuclear phenomena can occur. The authors review the developments in this research field and describe the potential of laser produced proton, neutron, and heavy ion beams, together with isotope and isomer production.