Artificial radioactivity is a creation, with the help of an accelerator or in the nuclear reactor, of isotopes (radionuclides) which are found in nature because they are unstable and by radioactive conversion they are converted to stable isotopes.
Radioactivity is capability of a spontaneous decay of an atom. In this way a new atom type is formed and radioactive radiation is released. An atom can emit three types of radioactive radiation: positive α-radiation, negative β-radiation and electrically neutral γ-radiation. During radioactive decay one element never emits all types of radiation at the same time.
Artificial radioactive isotopes are formed when an atom is bombed with an accelerator or exposing it to slow moving neutrons in a nuclear reactor. In this way isotopes (radionuclides) are obtained which are non-existent in nature because of their unstability and radioactive transition into stable isotopes. Most important radioactive isotopes are:
Radioactive isotope of cobalt is formed when ordinary metal cobalt is bombed with neutrons in a nuclear reactor.
Radioactive isotope of phosphorus is formed when ordinary phosphorus is bombed with deuterons produced in cyclotron.
radioactive isotope of carbon is formed when a nitrogen is bombed with slow moving neutrons in a nuclear reactor. It is mostly used as a radioactive indicator.
Technetium was discovered by Carlo Perrier and Emilio Segre (Italy) in 1937. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word technikos meaning artificial. It is silvery-grey metal. Resists oxidation but tarnishes in moist air and burns in high oxygen environment. First synthetically produced element. Radioactive. Technetium is made first by bombarding molybdenum with deuterons (heavy hydrogen) in a cyclotron. Added to iron in quantities as low as 55 part-per-million transforms the iron into a corrosion-resistant alloy.
Actinium was discovered by André Debierne (France) in 1899. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word aktinos meaning ray. It is heavy, silvery-white, very radioactive metal. Reacts with water. Glows in the dark. Actinium is extremely rare, found in all uranium ores. Usually obtained by treating radium with neutrons in a reactor.
Becquerel (Bq) is the SI derived unit, with a special name, for radioactivity, equal to s-1. It describes a radioactivity of an amount of radionuclide decaying at the rate, on average, of one spontaneous nuclear transition per second. The unit was named after the French scientist Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852-1908) (disintegrations per unit time), equal to s-1.
Carbon dating is used to the time passed since a living organism died. It is based on measuring the quantity of isotope of carbon-14 that is contained in all living organisms.
Generalic, Eni. "Umjetna radioaktivnost." Croatian-English Chemistry Dictionary & Glossary. 29 June 2022. KTF-Split. {Date of access}. <https://glossary.periodni.com>.
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