Radioactive Isotopes
Radioactive Isotopes - Related Videos
03:18
Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations
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2020
Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element. A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
02:31
Elements: Chemical Symbols and Isotopes
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2020
A chemical symbol is an abbreviation used to indicate an element or an atom of an element. For example, the symbol for mercury is Hg. The same symbol is used to indicate one atom of mercury (microscopic domain) or to label a container of many atoms of the element mercury (macroscopic domain). Some symbols are derived from the common English name of the element; others are abbreviations of the name in another language — Latin, Greek or German. For example, the symbol for aluminum (common name)...
02:48
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
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2020
Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time. The SI unit for activity is the becquerel, which is one disintegration per second. Another unit of activity is the...
11:31
Metabolic Labeling of Leucine Rich Repeat Kinases 1 and 2 with Radioactive Phosphate
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Cited by 5 •
2013
Leucine rich repeat kinases 1 and 2 (LRRK1 and LRRK2) are multidomain proteins which encode both GTPase and kinase domains and which are phosphorylated in cells. Here, we present a protocol to label LRRK1 and LRRK2 in cells with 32P orthophosphate, thereby providing a means to measure their overall cellular phophorylation levels.
01:12
Isotopes
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2026
Elements have a set number of protons that determines their atomic number (Z). For example, all atoms with eight protons are oxygen; however, the number of neutrons can vary for atoms of the same element. The sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called isotopes. Elements can have multiple isotopes, for example, carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.An element's atomic mass, or weight, is a...
FAQs
Half-life gives a consistent measure of how quickly a particular radioactive isotope decays. Because each isotope has a characteristic rate, chemists can use the passage of time and the amount of decay to compare samples, follow transformations, and estimate the age of materials. This predictable timing makes radioactive decay useful for both measurement and interpretation.
Alpha and beta emissions describe different ways an unstable nucleus can release energy as it transforms, while gamma radiation may also be produced during the process. These emissions accompany nuclear change and can result in a new isotope or element. Recognizing the emission involved helps chemists characterize the decay pathway and interpret the resulting products.
A radioactive isotope can mark atoms or chemical species without requiring researchers to observe every step directly. As the labeled material moves through a reaction, transport process, or exchange process, its radiation provides a way to follow that behavior. Tracer studies therefore connect detectable decay signals with pathways and distributions that would otherwise be difficult to track.
Radiometric dating uses the characteristic decay rate of a radioactive isotope to estimate the age of a material. Researchers relate the extent of transformation to elapsed time, using the isotope's predictable half-life as the time reference. This approach turns nuclear change into a chronological measurement and is distinct from using isotopes solely to trace a current chemical process.
A tracer investigation begins by associating a radioactive isotope with the material or process being studied. Researchers then follow where the labeled material goes, how it participates in a reaction pathway, or how it exchanges between environments. Measurements of the resulting radioactive signal reveal transport, distribution, or transformation patterns and provide evidence about the process under investigation.
Their applications extend to analytical methods, medical diagnostics, environmental studies, and radiometric dating. In chemistry, the same decay behavior that identifies or follows labeled material can support measurements and comparisons across samples. These uses show how radioactive isotopes connect chemical analysis with questions about biological systems, environmental movement, and the history of materials.