May 15, 2014

Nuclear Energy in the Service of Man

Nuclear Energy in the Service of Man

English Essay on "Nuclear Energy in the Service of Man"

Our age is the age of nuclear energy. Most of the western countries have tamed nuclear energy to do them service. Some under developed countries are trying to acquire the technologies of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes even in the face of opposition and hindrances placed in their way by advanced countries.
In scientific field, radioactive substances are used for many purposes. The geologist estimate the age of rocks with the help of Carbon-14. The high active curium 242 is used in atomic batteries. Biologists study many metabolic processes in both plants and animals using radioactive tracers to help trace the path of action of these processes. For example, the course of photo synthesis is traced by using Carbon-i 4 and Iodine 131.
Radioactive substances are also used in industries. For example the control of the thickness of metal sheet in steel mills and checking that tins, bottles and containers are filled to the correct level, are made possible by using radioactive substance. Another use of radioactive isotopes is to trace underground pipe leakage. The radioisotopes are introduced in water and a radioactive detector above the ground follows the passage of water and detects leakage.4essay.blogspot.com
In industrial field, radioactive isotopes are used to do other service also. Y radiation is used to check metal fatigue and cracks and also to find out defects in welding seams, forgings, joints, boilers and propellers etc. Radiation is also used in food preservation. Small doses of radiation are applied to certain food stuff to kill the bacteria and to prolong shelf life of fish and some fruits.
The use of radioactive isotopes in medical field has opened new ways in diagnosis and treatment of decease Y- rays are being used to treat cancers especially those which cannot be operated upon. A machine called gammatron is used for this purpose and the Y radiation comes from cobalt 60 or caesium 137 source. Sometime needles coated with radioactive element are implanted in cancerous growths. Leukemia is treated with Phosphorous 32 and thyroid cancer with Iodine 131.
To detect cancers radioactive substances are introduced in patients and then they are put to a scanning machine to detect f they are suffering from cancer. Radioactive isotopes are also used to sterilize bandages, surgical instruments and drugs. Another use of nuclear energy is to maintain the heart beat of a patient by means of pace makers. These pacemakers last 10 years more than those operated by chemical batteries which last for 2 years only.
The use of nuclear energy to produce cheaper electricity is in vogue throughout the world. It is also used to generate power in warships and submarines and to propel then. Radioactive substances are used in caesium watches to maintain correctness in time.

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