Answer: The given statement is False. Isotopes with longer half-lives are more useful for dating the age of Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
1. Radiometric dating is a method used to determine the age of rocks and minerals by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.
2. Radioactive isotopes are unstable forms of elements that spontaneously decay into more stable forms over time.
3. The rate of decay of a radioactive isotope is measured by its half-life, which is the time it takes for half of the original parent isotopes to decay into daughter isotopes.
4. Isotopes with shorter half-lives decay at a faster rate, meaning they become more stable in a shorter amount of time.
5. Isotopes with longer half-lives decay at a slower rate, meaning they remain relatively unstable for a longer period.
6. When dating the age of Earth, scientists typically use isotopes with long half-lives, such as uranium-238, potassium-40, and rubidium-87.
7. These isotopes provide a larger time scale for dating geological events because they decay slowly over millions to billions of years.
8. By measuring the ratio of parent isotopes to daughter isotopes in a sample, scientists can calculate the amount of time that has passed since the rock or mineral formed.
In summary, isotopes with longer half-lives are more useful for dating the age of Earth because they provide a larger time scale for measuring geological events. Isotopes with shorter half-lives decay at a faster rate and are more suitable for dating shorter time periods.