MYP Chemistry

Applications of isotopes in medicine

and industry

Name: Omar Al Haj Ali Grade 9 – MYP Year 4 (A, B, C, D, E)

Subject: Chemistry Date:

AIM:
This task addresses the key concept Relationship, Patterns as a related concept, and
Scientific and Technical Innovation as a global context which focuses on Criterion D
(Reflecting on the impacts of science)

Introduction
Isotopes are defined as atoms of the same element that have the same atomic number (Z) but different
mass numbers (A). Isotopes can be stable isotopes or radioactive isotopes.  
Most of the isotopes found in nature are stable, but sometimes an isotopic nucleus will contain either
too many neutrons or too few neutrons to be considered stable. The nucleus will try to reach stability
by spontaneously rearranging itself, giving off particles in the process. These radioisotopes, or
radioactive isotopes, are the unstable isotope of an element. 
These radioactive isotopes have a number of uses ranging across various different sciences. The use of
radioactive isotopes has helped scientists answer age old questions, advance the medical frontier, and
change the way we understand life. Careful; these benefits and advancements do not come without a
price!  
Discuss and evaluate one application of a radioactive isotope in certain field like medicine,
agriculture, chemical industries, archeology or meteorology. In your answer, you should consider
-The science behind using isotopes
-The benefits of using isotopes interacting with a factor
-The limitations of using radioactive isotopes interacting with a factor.
- A concluding appraisal.

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 The use of radioactive isotopes in the chemical industry
Isotopes are classified as atoms of the same element that have different mass
numbers but the same atomic number. Stable isotopes or radioactive isotopes are
different types of isotopes. Many of the isotopes present in nature are stable, but to
be considered stable, an isotopic nucleus can often contain either too many
neutrons or too few neutrons. By randomly rearranging itself, the nucleus can
attempt to achieve equilibrium, giving off particles in the process. These
radioisotopes, or radioactive isotopes, make-up an element 's unstable isotope.
These radioactive isotopes have a variety of applications that cover various sciences.
Using radioactive isotopes has helped scientists respond to old-age issues, advance
the medical frontier, and improve the way we view life.

In the chemical industry, factories might face problems through the manufacturing
line. As there could be an undiscovered leak that might affect the production and the
pace at which the factory produces. This can have a large effect on the factory, as
might ruin engines and equipment that have a large cost and cannot be easily fixed
or replaceable.

Radioactive isotopes have many uses that are useful. For example, in medicine
cobalt-60 is used extensively as a source of radiation to block cancer growth. Certain
radioactive isotopes are used as tracers both for medical purposes and in metabolic
process science. In the field, radio tracers are commonly used to analyze procedures
and demonstrate the sources of inefficiency. Radioisotopes are used as tracers by
manufacturers to track fluid flow and filtration, detect leaks, and gage the wear and
corrosion of process equipment engines.

Radioactive isotopes are powerful tracers since it is easy to detect their radioactivity.
In order to observe the steps of a complex chemical reaction, tracers may also be
used. Scientists will monitor where the atoms go by tracking their radioactivity after
.introducing radioactive atoms into reactant molecules

Tracers have many advantages that can help economically. As the key benefits of
tracer investigations are the contactless capturing of signals, the high detection
sensitivity, the vast amount of tracer nuclides available, and the fact that tracer
investigations can be carried out on running production units without affecting the
observed operation, such that useful constraints on the validity of design and
process data are generate. This helps economically as the factory or business doesn’t
need to suffer from equipment and engines malfunctioning causing the whole
manufacture line to stop and cause an issue, also by having tracers being able to be
used while the equipment is operating there will be no loses due to delay or
operation stopping due to maintenance or issues in the machine or equipment which
can help large factories a lot as they can’t stop their operating line to check their
equipment as this can cause to lose a lot of money which would be unwanted by the
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manufacturer and cause delays to the consumers which won’t be accepted and can
.cause a lot of problems and difficulties

On the other hand, radio isotopes can have many disadvantages. The nuclear wastes
from the use of radioisotopes should not be discarded in any place, they require
disposals that would not impact the omission of radiation to humans or the
greenhouse effect of the ozone layer, this will cause extra expenses as it cannot be
disposed anywhere it will have to be disposed in a certain way. Also, Radioisotopes
require the construction of nuclear plants, and this will not be possible to buy
because of the costly amount of money it takes, which will also make radio active
.isotopes high in price and hard to get a hold on

To conclude, radioactive isotopes have many uses in different fields and helped in
solving old age questions related to science. Radioactive isotopes are used in the
chemical field as tracers that help detect leaks, equipment, engine wear, etc. This
helped in the development and improvement of the chemical field. Tracers also have
their implications on the chemical industry and in general. As tracers help detect
leaks that can ruin millions of dollars of equipment it can also cause pollution and
environment issues if its not disposed properly as at the end its radio active waste
and can be very harmful to the environment and can cause a lot of issues. In my
opinion, tracers are a really good invention or discovery that can be very helpful in
.many ways but should not be used incorrectly as it may have serious implications

[ CITATION PBr05 \l 1033 ]

Bibliography
P. Brisset, J. Thereska. Science Direct. 2005. 22 9 2020.
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/radioactive-tracer>.

[ CITATION JWL08 \l 1033 ]

Bibliography
J. W. Leonhardt, R. Göldner,H.-G. Könnecke,H. Kupsch,D. Luther,R. Otto,R. Reinhardt &H.
Ulrich. T and F Online. 20 8 2008. 22 9 2020.
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10256019008624346#:~:text=The
%20main%20advantages%20of%20tracer,solved)%20and%20the%20fact%20that>.

P. Brisset, J. Thereska. Science Direct. 2005. 22 9 2020.

<https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/radioactive-tracer>.

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 [ CITATION Bio13 \l 1033 ]
Bibliography
Bio Chemistry Research. 18 3 2013. 22 9 2020.
<https://biochemistryresearch.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/disadvantages-of-
radioisotopes-in-nuclear-medicine/>.

J. W. Leonhardt, R. Göldner,H.-G. Könnecke,H. Kupsch,D. Luther,R. Otto,R. Reinhardt &H.

Ulrich. T and F Online. 20 8 2008. 22 9 2020.
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10256019008624346#:~:text=The
%20main%20advantages%20of%20tracer,solved)%20and%20the%20fact%20that>.

P. Brisset, J. Thereska. Science Direct. 2005. 22 9 2020.

<https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/radioactive-tracer>.

Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science.

Achievement Level descriptor Task-specific clarification
Level
0 The student does not reach a standard The student does not reach a standard
identified by any of the descriptors below. identified by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to: The student is able to:
1-2 i. outline the ways in which science is used i. outline the ways in which using
to address a specific problem or issue isotopes to solve a problem or an issue.
ii. outline the implications of using science ii. outline the implications of using
to solve a specific problem or issue, radioactive isotopes to solve a problem
interacting with a factor or an issue, interacting with a factor
iii. apply scientific language to communicate iii. apply scientific language to
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 understanding but does so with limited communicate understanding but does so
success with limited success
iv. document sources, with limited success. iv. document sources, with limited
success.
The student is able to: The student is able to:
3-4 i. summarize the ways in which science is i. summarize the ways in which
applied and used to address a specific radioactive isotopes to solve a problem
problem or issue or an issue.
ii. describe the implications of using science ii. describe the implications of using
and its application to solve a specific radioactive isotopes to solve a problem
problem or issue, interacting with a factor or an issue, interacting with a factor
iii. sometimes apply scientific language to iii. sometimes apply scientific language to
communicate understanding communicate understanding
iv. sometimes document sources correctly. iv. sometimes document sources correctly.
The student is able to: The student is able to:
5-6 i. describe the ways in which science is i. describe the ways in which
applied and used to address a specific radioactive isotopes to solve a problem
problem or issue or an issue.
ii. discuss the implications of using science ii. discuss the implications of using
and its application to solve a specific radioactive isotopes to solve a problem
problem or issue, interacting with a factor or an issue, interacting with a factor
iii. usually apply scientific language to iii. usually apply scientific language to
communicate understanding clearly and communicate understanding clearly and
precisely precisely
iv. usually document sources correctly. iv. usually document sources correctly.
7-8 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. explain the ways in which science is i. explain the ways in which radioactive
applied and used to address a specific isotopes to solve a problem or an issue.
problem or issue ii. discuss and evaluate the implications
ii. discuss and evaluate the implications of of using radioactive isotopes to solve a
using science and its application to solve a problem or an issue, interacting with a
specific problem or issue, interacting with factor
a factor iii. consistently apply scientific language
iii. consistently apply scientific language to to communicate understanding clearly
communicate understanding clearly and and precisely
precisely .

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