Three radioisotopes are being discussed in a chemistry class. Technetium-99m has a half-life of 6 hours. Rubidium-87 has a half-life of 50 billion years. Which describes who would most likely use each isotope?
A likely application of a radioactive isotope with a short half-life such as Technetium-99 will be as a medical tracer. It will likely be used by a doctor to check the movement of substances within a person's body.
A radioactive isotope with such a long half-life like Rubidium-87 is likely used in the determination of the age of fossils and artifacts found by archaeologists.
A doctor would use technetium-99m because a short half-life indicates a quick measurement, and a geologist would use rubidium-87 because a longer half-life means that there is a longer time to measure old rock.
