Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 19: Problem 3

Do radiotracers generally have long or short half-lives? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Radiotracers generally have short half-lives, often ranging from minutes to a few hours. Shorter half-lives allow for rapid imaging procedures, minimizing radiation exposure to patients and the environment, and reducing storage and disposal requirements. For example, fluorine-18, a common radiotracer used in PET scans, has a half-life of approximately 110 minutes. However, the specific half-life of a radiotracer can vary depending on its purpose and the radioactive substance's properties.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of radiotracers

A radiotracer is a radioactive isotope that is introduced into a system in order to trace the distribution of a substance or the flow of a fluid. Radiotracers are commonly used in medical imaging and research applications, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, as well as in environmental monitoring.
02

Definition of half-life

The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time it takes for half of its initial quantity to decay or undergo a radioactive transformation. The length of a half-life is specific to each isotope and can range from fractions of a second to millions of years.
03

Importance of half-life in radiotracers

The half-life of a radiotracer has various implications for its practical use, such as the timing of detection and imaging, the effective dose of radiation received by a person, and the storage and shipping requirements. An ideal half-life for a radiotracer is long enough to allow for imaging and detection, but short enough to minimize the radiation dose received by the person or the environment.
04

Short half-lives in radiotracers

Generally, radiotracers have short half-lives, often in the range of minutes to a few hours. This allows for rapid imaging procedures and minimizes the time that a patient or organism is exposed to radiation. Additionally, shorter half-lives mean that the radioactive material will decay more quickly, reducing the time and resources required for storage and disposal. For example, the commonly used radiotracer in PET scans, fluorine-18, has a half-life of approximately 110 minutes.
05

Conclusion

In conclusion, radiotracers generally have short half-lives. This is because shorter half-lives allow for rapid, high-quality imaging and minimize radiation exposure for patients and the environment. However, the specific half-life of a radiotracer can vary depending on its intended use and the characteristics of the radioactive substance.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

The mass ratios of 40 \(\mathrm{Ar}\) to 40 \(\mathrm{K}\) also can be used to date geologic materials. Potassium-40 decays by two processes: $$_{19}^{40} \mathrm{K}+_{-1}^{0} \mathrm{e} \longrightarrow_{\mathrm{i} 8}^{40} \mathrm{Ar}(10.7 \%)$$ $$_{19}^{40} \mathrm{K} \longrightarrow_{20}^{40} \mathrm{Ca}+_{-1}^{0} \mathrm{e}(89.3 \%)$$ $$t_{1 / 2}=1.27 \times 10^{9}$$ a. Why are \(^{40}\mathrm{Ar} /^{40} \mathrm{K}\) ratios used to date materials rather than \(^{40}\mathrm{Ca} / 40 \mathrm{K}\) ratios? b. What assumptions must be made using this technique? c. A sedimentary rock has an Ar \(^{40} \mathrm{K}\) ratio of \(0.95 .\) Calculate the age of the rock. d. How will the measured age of a rock compare to the actual age if some \(^{40}\) Ar escaped from the sample?

Scientists have estimated that the earth's crust was formed 4.3 billion years ago. The radioactive nuclide \(176 \mathrm{Lu},\) which decays to 176 \(\mathrm{Hf}\) , was used to estimate this age. The half-life of 176 \(\mathrm{Lu}\) is 37 billion years. How are ratios of \(^{176} \mathrm{Lu}\) to 176 \(\mathrm{Hf}\) utilized to date very old rocks?

Write an equation describing the radioactive decay of each of the following nuclides. (The particle produced is shown in parentheses, except for electron capture, where an electron is a reactant.) a. 68 Ga (electron capture) b. 62 Cu (positron) c. 212 \(\mathrm{Fr}(\alpha)\) d. 129 \(\mathrm{Sb}(\beta)\)

In each of the following radioactive decay processes, supply the missing particle. a. \(^{73} \mathrm{Ga} \rightarrow^{73} \mathrm{Ge}+?\) b. \(^{192} \mathrm{Pt} \rightarrow^{188} \mathrm{Os}+?\) c. \(^{205} \mathrm{Bi} \rightarrow^{205} \mathrm{Pb}+?\) d. \(^{241} \mathrm{Cm}+? \rightarrow^{241} \mathrm{Am}\)

There is a trend in the United States toward using coal-fired power plants to generate electricity rather than building new nuclear fission power plants. Is the use of coal-fired power plants without risk? Make a list of the risks to society from the use of each type of power plant.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free