uses of radioactive isotopes and carbon dating

• Cobalt-60 is used in

  medicine to treat cancer

  gamma rays are focused on the tumour

  
• Iodine-131 is used to treat the

  thyroid gland when it is enlarged this can be absorbed and will partially destroy it.
• Carbon-14 is used to

  date once-living materials
• Every living organism contains the radioisotope

  carbon-14. 

  
• Carbon-14 is formed when neutrons from cosmic radiation collide with

  nitrogen atoms in our atmosphere forming protons and carbon-14 atoms.

  
• what is responsible for carbon-14 entering the food chain.

  Carbon dioxide

  
• Carbon-14 decays by

  beta-emission

  
• carbon-14 has a half life of

  5730 years.

  
• the beta emission can be monitored and

  the data is used to calculate how long it has been since the material was alive.