Question
A characteristic feature of radioactive isotopes is their unique half-life, representing the duration required for half of the isotope to decay. The table presents the half-lives of four isotopes.
Using this data, which isotope would scientists avoid using for dating a fossil?
(1 point)
Responses
thorium-232
thorium-232
radon-222
radon-222
carbon-14
carbon-14
potassium-40
potassium-40
Using this data, which isotope would scientists avoid using for dating a fossil?
(1 point)
Responses
thorium-232
thorium-232
radon-222
radon-222
carbon-14
carbon-14
potassium-40
potassium-40
Answers
There are no human answers yet.
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Scientists would avoid using **radon-222** for dating a fossil.
This is primarily because radon-222 has a relatively short half-life of about 3.8 days, which makes it unsuitable for dating fossils that are typically thousands to millions of years old. In contrast, isotopes like carbon-14 and potassium-40 have longer half-lives, making them more appropriate for geological dating. Thorium-232 also has a long half-life, making it less practical for dating recent fossils compared to carbon-14.
This is primarily because radon-222 has a relatively short half-life of about 3.8 days, which makes it unsuitable for dating fossils that are typically thousands to millions of years old. In contrast, isotopes like carbon-14 and potassium-40 have longer half-lives, making them more appropriate for geological dating. Thorium-232 also has a long half-life, making it less practical for dating recent fossils compared to carbon-14.
Submit Your Answer
We prioritize human answers over AI answers.
If you are human, and you can answer this question, please submit your answer.