Year 10 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 25

Using Radioisotopes, Medicine, Industry and the Environment

Foundation Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Recall key terms used when describing radioisotopes and their uses.
Sort real applications into medicine, industry, and agriculture or environment.
Explain why a particular isotope is chosen for a given job.

Warm Up

Fill the gap

Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete each sentence. Two words will NOT be used.

tracer gamma half-life radiotherapy beta shielding carbon-14 sterilise alpha fertiliser

A radioisotope that is followed through a body or a pipe to track movement is called a . Technetium-99m gives off rays, which pass out of the body and can be detected by a camera. The time taken for half of a radioactive sample to decay is its . Using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells is called . A thickness gauge in a paper factory uses a source, because that radiation is partly absorbed by the sheet. Lead and concrete are used as to protect workers from radiation. The age of once-living material can be estimated using dating. Gamma rays are used to medical equipment by killing microorganisms.

Your Turn

Sort it!

Write each application from the pool into the correct field box below. Each one belongs to exactly one field.

Technetium-99m diagnostic scan Thickness gauge in sheet metal Sterile insect technique Cobalt-60 cancer radiotherapy Gamma radiography of welds Tracing fertiliser uptake in crops Iodine-131 thyroid treatment Leak detection in pipelines Food irradiation Sterilising surgical instruments Smoke detector (americium-241) Monitoring soil erosion and water flow

Medicine

Industry

Agriculture & Environment

Show What You Know

1. Technetium-99m has a half-life of about 6 hours and gives off gamma rays. Give two reasons why these properties make it a good choice for a diagnostic scan inside the body.

Recall 2 marks

2. Name three ways workers can reduce the radiation dose they receive when handling radioactive sources.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, explain why scientists must match both the half-life and the type of radiation to the job when choosing a radioisotope.