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radioactive
their marketing
off the mark
or a large amount of energy and hard-boiled
family referred to as
radioactive
including minerals that come out of the year
and helpful medical technology
even began its anions on contained substance and
better flight mean radioactive
in eighteen ninety eight mme murray sherry first to use the word
radioactivity
distracting bility at very helen
to give up invisible energy
but did you know at this present energy conveniences was the solar system
find out how
on real world
when most people hear the word radioactivity
we think a mysterious glowing substantive nuclear power plant or
weapons
but you may not be aware of the vast differences between the different
radioactive substances
these different substantive give off different amounts of energy and a half
all kinds of practical uses from the imaging
disruptive tactics
archaeological dating today
but what makes a material radioactive to begin with
let's start with the basics
all matter is made up of particles caught
and adams are made up of smaller particles protons
neutrons an electron
adams of the given element all have the same number of her time but the number
of neutrons kingsbury
adams of the same element with a different number of new john's are known
as isotopes that element
now sound isotopes are stable meaning they did not change over time
others are unstable
we call these unstable isotopes
radioisotope
because to become more stable they've radiate or give up energy
usually moving particles plus he and this process is called radioactive decay
radioactive decay is um...
what happens when in adams trying to get a stable state that is the federal state
we have a very unstable adam
this likes to remove greensboro
alpha particles beta particles
uh... sometimes gamma rays
for what it's doing is taken unstable adult and going to more stable state in
releasing energy during the process
one of the most important thing similar about this whole process
is that the rate at which any radio isotope decays
is predictable under the same condition you can count on it to happen the same
way over and over
for unstable at
there's no way of telling when individual out of
but they're careful measurement it is possible to predict how long it will
take
for a large number of them
say half of adam's any given sample to decay admit adams decay
they change from one element into another the time it takes for happen
amount at any radioisotope syndicate into another type of element
if caught its half-life
half-life
views the amount of time takes
for half of the radio isotopes to decayed
from more unstable straight through more stable states
and adams of different types have different ways objecting from his more
unstable straight to the more statements
it is just the nature of the of the year element where they are still the best
elements
how long that have plagued the beast
antics of nature of how
uh... what kind of energy it's really supported devil rays further needs
uh... whether parcels
staring grade from not seven
to billions of years
but each radio isotope haven't alan rate had to pay
for example
iodine one thirty one
have a half-life upon the eight d
bob for ain't thirty st
have a half life
hundred thousand years
suppose you had thirty two grams of sodium twenty four
which has a half-mile
a fifteen hours indicate into magnesium twenty four
estate will form of magnesium
an understanding of half-life and some simple math
can help you determine how much of the original material at this
after and giving period of time
after fifteen hours
the sodium twenty-four would indicate intend magnesium twenty four
meeting sixteen grams of your regional like that
after thirty hours there would only be eight grams of sodium played for laughs
and felon
until there's not enough studying twenty four and left in the sample to detect
its radio activity
so now that you know more about radioactive the and half-life
partisan asst he's met and carey's invisible energy to explore the solar
system
well sent half-life is predictable scientists and engineers can use this
knowledge create power sources that rely on the predictable heat
did they not by radioactive as they became
masses radioisotope powered space craft
using these prices have gone through tony on tue thirty eight
which is provided by the department of energy
that had happened eighty-eight years gives off heat diligent cardboard card
alpha particle the fact that it that well means doors that he makes this
isotope ideal fuel for bartlett's business
for radioisotope our system
is a special system that uses the the decay of of a breakaway circle markets
plutonium two-thirty on to generate heat that he's been
is uh... converter to power or electricity
on that we use in space
radioisotope character stand
or an r_p_s_ for short
ideally suited for missus in the stream environment of space or on planetary
surfaces
like some destinations on mars
at mars science laboratory rover often known as the syria city
has been designed to use that radioisotope power systems as that
explores the red planet r_p_s_ can generate electricity needed operate the
rover ended instantly
excess heat from the power source can keep the rover warm on this poured dusty
plane
if daddy and reliable output of its r_p_s_ soon in a bowl the large rubber
to travel farther
last longer indian more science than any previous mobile marcin explore curiosity
is designed to grandma risk for a full martian year that's about two or three
years with it's reliable long-lasting power source commissioned to doubt even
longer and that long devotee
in thanks to our understanding of radioactive decay
now how about that
from laboratories on erin's tour over on mars
harnessing the power of radioactivity
to help make exploration
really hot endeavors