CAIE A-Level Physics 24.3.1 Medical Radioactive Tracers

Practise defining a medical tracer as a substance introduced into the body and absorbed by the tissue studied, then judging whether its half-life is suitable.

Exam points

define a tracer as a substance introduced into the body and absorbed by the tissue being studied

[Maximum number: 1]

Fluorine-18 $\left({ }_{9}^{18} \mathrm{~F}\right)$ is a radioactive nuclide that is used as a tracer in positron emission tomography (PET scanning). Fluorine-18 decays to a nuclide of oxygen ( O ) according to

{ }_{9}^{18} \mathrm{~F} \longrightarrow{ }_{P}^{Q} \mathrm{X}+{ }_{8}^{R} \mathrm{O} \text {. }

State what is meant by a tracer.

All question bank results loaded

24.3.1—A tracer is a substance containing radioactive nuclei that can be introduced question 1