a) What are the two isotopes of carbon?
b) Give any two applications of radioactive isotopes?
Dear student,
1. Carbon has its 3 naturally occuring isotopes: 12C (6 neutrons +6 protons), 13C,( 7 neutrons + 6 protons) and 14C (8 neutrons+ 6 protons). Out of these three the first two are stable while the 14C is radioactive or cosmogenic.
Their abundance is also different in nature the radioactive isotope has an abundance of 1 part per trillion while the isotope with atomic mass has abundance of 98.89% and another one has an abundance of 1.109% .
2.Radioactive isotopes has a wide variety of uses like in cancer treatment, food irradiation and in radiography also.we have several examples as well like we use
60Co as a radiation source to arrest the development of cancer and we have many more examples.
Regards!!!
1. Carbon has its 3 naturally occuring isotopes: 12C (6 neutrons +6 protons), 13C,( 7 neutrons + 6 protons) and 14C (8 neutrons+ 6 protons). Out of these three the first two are stable while the 14C is radioactive or cosmogenic.
Their abundance is also different in nature the radioactive isotope has an abundance of 1 part per trillion while the isotope with atomic mass has abundance of 98.89% and another one has an abundance of 1.109% .
2.Radioactive isotopes has a wide variety of uses like in cancer treatment, food irradiation and in radiography also.we have several examples as well like we use
60Co as a radiation source to arrest the development of cancer and we have many more examples.
Regards!!!