In this chapter, you will be introduced to the concepts of radioactive isotopes, radioactive decay, and half-life. You will learn how radioisotopes are utilized in medicine, science, and agriculture. Two nuclear reactions, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, are compared as sources of energy.

In this chapter, you will learn: to explain what is meant by the half-life of a radioactive element to describe what happens in a nuclear bombardment reaction to describe how radiation affects living things to discuss several beneficial applications of radioisotopes to compare nuclear fission and nuclear fusion to explain how nuclear reactions are used to produce energy