Purchase Solution

Working with half life of a radioactive material

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Polonium-210 has a half life of 140 days

If a sample has a mass of 200 mg find a function describing the mass that remains after t days

When will the mass be reduced to 10 mg?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

Easy to understand solution from basics.

Solution Preview

Let No be the initial mass of the radiactive substance and N the mass after t days.

The rate of disnintegration at any time t is dirctly proportional to N.

==> -dN/dt proportional to N

==> -dN/dt = lambda x N

where lanbda is a constant..it is called the disintegration constant

==> -dN/N = lanbda x t .....1

Integrating eq 1, we get

- ln N ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Know Your Linear Equations

Each question is a choice-summary multiple choice question that will present you with a linear equation and then make 4 statements about that equation. You must determine which of the 4 statements are true (if any) in regards to the equation.

Exponential Expressions

In this quiz, you will have a chance to practice basic terminology of exponential expressions and how to evaluate them.

Graphs and Functions

This quiz helps you easily identify a function and test your understanding of ranges, domains , function inverses and transformations.

Solving quadratic inequalities

This quiz test you on how well you are familiar with solving quadratic inequalities.

Geometry - Real Life Application Problems

Understanding of how geometry applies to in real-world contexts

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Working with a radiactive material

    7573 Working with a radioactive material The half life of Cl is 9.5 x 10(exponent 12)s.

  • Understanding radioactive decay, half-life and nuclear chemistry.

    7524 Understanding radioactive decay, half-life and nuclear chemistry. If you start with 64 g of a material with a half-life of 10 years, how much will be left at the end of 40 years?

  • Radioactive decay

    15826 Radioactive decay: Example problem Find the half-life of a radioactive material if, after one year 99.5713% of the amount remains, also write the formula for finding the amount of this material after (t) years, and how much will remain in 500 years

  • Radioactive Dating Methods of Three Isotopes

    One half-life will leave 50% of the original product, and a second half-life 25% of the original product. 2 half-lives = 1 407, 600, 600 3) What material is it best used for?

  • Half-life

    b) How much material is left after 10 days? c) Find the half-life of the material. Please see the attached file. This shows how to work with the decay of radioactive material

  • Determining the number of half-lives elapsed

    You can think of half-life as the time it takes for half of a given amount of radioactive material to decay into another element. The radioactive element is the parent, the product is the daughter.

  • Logarithmic and trigonometric equations

    The half-life of a certain radioactive element is 100days.

  • Radioactive material

    b) Find the half-life of the material Please see the attached file. This solution is comprised of a detailed explanation to find the amount present after 10 days.

  • Understanding Radioactive Decay Calculations

    7525 Understanding radioactive decay calculations, nuclear chemistry and half-life. The half-life of Iodine-126 is 60 days. If the original sample had a mass of 50.0 grams, how much is left after 360 days?

  • Radioactive Decay

    Radioactive Decay Iodine 131 is a radioactive material that decays according to the function A(t) = A where A0 is the initial amount present and A is the amount present at time t (in days).

View More Related Solutions