Final answer:
The claim that radium-222 has a half-life of approximately 38 seconds is false because radium-222 does not exist, and radon-222, which may have been confused with radium, has a half-life of 3.823 days.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the half-life of radium-222 is approximately 38 seconds is false. The half-life of a radioactive isotope refers to the time it takes for half of the sample to decay. In the case of radium, no isotope named radium-222 exists. However, radon-222, which is often confused with radium, does indeed have a half-life which is significantly longer at 3.823 days as stated in the reference. Radium-226, which is an actual isotope of radium, has a half-life of about 1600 years. Therefore, the correct half-life for radon-222 is several days, not mere seconds.