Final answer:
The amount of material left after 5 years can be calculated using the half-life equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The radioactive isotope cobalt-60 has a half-life of 5 years. This means that after one half-life (5 years), half of the material will remain. To calculate how much material will be left after 5 years, we can use the equation:
Amount Remaining = Initial Amount × (0.5)^(Number of half-lives)
Given that you have 8 grams of material and 5 years is equal to one half-life, we substitute these values into the equation:
Amount Remaining = 8 grams × (0.5)^(1) = 4 grams
Therefore, you will have 4 grams of material left after 5 years.