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Radioactive Decay Demo
Source Information
Source
Composition
Half-life
(years)
Decay
Decay
Energy
(MeV)
Counts
per
Minute
Range
(feet)
>5x
104
50
2
Penetration
Strength
through
Lead Sheet
Strong
Cesium
137
Carbon14
Radium226
Uranium
Ore
82 Neutrons,
55 Protons
8 Neutrons,
6 Protons
88 Protons,
138 Neutrons
Varies with
Isotope
30.17
Beta, Gamma 1.176
5,370
Beta
.156
¾
Weak
1501
Alpha
4.871
1
Weak
5-205
>5x
104
5x103
Varies with
Isotope from
70 to
4.468×10^9
Alpha,
Spontaneous
Fission
.5
Weak
Iron 55
26 Protons,
29 Neutrons
2.737
Thorium
90 Protons,
Neutron
number
varies with
isotope from
142-146
Varies with
isotope from
24.1 days to
1.405×10^10
years
X-rays
and Auger
electrons
(decays by
electron
capture to
manganese55)
Alpha decays
into Radium
.00519
1x104
2
Weak
.275.52
50
.5 ft
Weak
Notes:
All of the sources below heavier than Iron are only naturally produced in supernovae.
Radium:
Radium was first isolated from uranium ore by Marie Curie at the turn of the 20th
century. Her continued handling of Radium has been speculated to be the cause of
her death from aplastic anemia. Due to its instability, it is luminescent and glows
a faint blue in the dark. This property led to its use as a luminous paint for clocks
and many other instruments. Radium was also used in the Rutherford experiment
to explore and discover the structure of the gold atom.
Fe-55:
Often used as a source of X-rays in various X-ray scattering experiments because
of its monochromatic and continuously produced X-ray emissions. Will be used
aboard the ExoMars space mission (ESA) for the X-ray diffraction spectrometer.
Carbon 14:
the rarest isotope of carbon, comprises 1 part per trillion of the carbon in the
atmosphere, widely used for carbon dating and medical tracing.
Caesium-137:
Very difficult to handle because of its high chemical reactivity and highly
energetic photon releases. Released in dangerous levels in nuclear tests and
disasters. It is still the principal source of radiation and the greatest health risk in
the zone of alienation around the Chernobyl plant and the Fukushima nuclear
disaster.
Uranium Ore:
fairly common in the earth’s crust, 40 times more common than silver and 500
times more common than gold, found almost everywhere on Earth. Commonly
composed of uraninite and pitchblende. Ore is processed into yellowcake, which
is then processed into uranium and used in nuclear reactors and weapons.
Thorium:
named after the Norse god, Thor. Thorium was previously used as the light source
in gas mantles. Now, Thorium is being considered and implemented as a new fuel
in nuclear reactors because of its high occurrence, availability, and safety.