Atomic Research example essay topic

Nuclear Advancements After the Manhattan Project When the first atomic bomb was detonated in Alamogordo New Mexico on June 16, 1945, all the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project understood the great destructive power of radio-active isotopes. Although the atomic bomb was a very destructive force our world would not be as good without it. Because of the government funding involved in the project coupled with the need for an atom bomb, much research that otherwise may not have occurred took place in the US. The Manhattan project opened the door to nuclear advancements and applications. After World War II atomic research escalated into a frenzy. Many countries were trying to duplicate what America had done.

The great arms race had begun. Although these countries knew the destructive power of the atom, they did not fully understand its more peace-full side, a side which helps us today with so much. The atom is used for many things in today's world. For example nuclear power plants are a much cheaper way of creating electricity.

However, not only are they cheaper but they also help conserve the earth's resources. Instead of burning millions of metric tons of coal in a year and polluting the air with harmful carbons, nuclear plants use fuel rods as their energy. These rods heat water, create steam, and generate electricity, while not giving off any harmful gases. Atoms and radiation have many applications in agriculture, medicine, industry and research. They greatly improve the day to day quality of our lives.

One interesting use of a radio-active isotope is in reducing insect population. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) consists of irradiating laboratory-reared male insects before hatching, to sterilize them. The sterilized males are then released in large numbers in the infested areas. When they mate with females, no offspring are produced.

With repeated releases of sterilized males, the population of the insect pest in a given area is drastically reduced. The largest SIT operations so far have been conducted in Mexico against the Mediterranean fruit fly and the screwworm. In 1981 the Med fly operation was declared a complete success, and by 1991 the screwworm eradication had yielded some 3 billion US dollars in benefits to the economy. People also benefit from atomic research in the medical field.

Many people are aware of the wide use of radiation and radioisotopes in medicine. Nuclear medicine mostly uses radioisotopes which emit gamma rays from within the body. Estimates show that about one out of every three hospital patients benefits in some way from the use of nuclear medicine. Just think, every time you have an X-ray taken you are benefiting from nuclear research. Without X-rays, doctors would have a far greater time trying to set a broken bone if they even knew it was broken!

Another common medical procedure that involves atomic research is the Cat-Scan. During this procedure the patient is injected with a radioactive isotope which shows the flow of blood through the body. With this information doctors can than tell whether or not an operation needs to be performed or if any passages are being blocked. Radio active isotopes play such a large part in our live that you probably don't even know some things that use isotopes. For example, did you know that a smoke detector uses a radioactive isotope?

Smoke detectors contain a small amount of americium-241 which is a decay product of plutonium-241 originating in nuclear reactors. The Am-241 isotope emits alpha particles which ionize the air and allow a current between two electrodes. If smoke enters the detector it absorbs the alpha particles and interrupts the current, setting off the alarm. Some radioisotopes emit a lot of energy as they decay. Such energy can be harnessed for heart pacemakers and to power navigation beacons and satellites. The decay heat of plutonium-238 has powered many US space vehicles and enabled Voyager to send back pictures of distant planets.

Radioactive atoms contribute much to our safety and way of life. Although it was very unfortunate that the atom bomb was invented to destroy life, much has been done in the name of atomic research to restore life. Without the Manhattan Project our world could be years behind in medical, industrial, agricultural, and consumer technology. The Manhattan Project opened the door for nuclear advancements. Source Page: 1) web) web) web) Encyclopedia Britannica.