A radioactive tracer called technetium-99m is used in medicine to detect blockages in blood vessels.
Technetium-99m has a half-life of 6 hours6\text{ hours}6 hours. Give two reasons why this is useful.
Technetium-99m emits gamma radiation. Explain why this makes it a good medical tracer.
Technetium-99m decays to a stable (or very long-lived) isotope. Explain why this is important for the patient's safety.
The tracer is monitored using an external gamma camera. How is the location of a blockage found?
A 16 mg mass of technetium-99m is prepared for a patient. The half-life of technetium-99m is 6 hours6\text{ hours}6 hours. What mass of technetium-99m remains after 18 hours18\text{ hours}18 hours?