HalfLifeProblems#110

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Problem#1:ThehalflifeofZn71is2.4minutes.Ifonehad100.0gatthebeginning,howmanygrams
wouldbeleftafter7.2minuteshaselapsed?

Solution:

7.2/2.4=3halflives

(1/2)3=0.125(theamountremainingafter3halflives)

100.0gx0.125=12.5gremaining

Problem#2:Pd100hasahalflifeof3.6days.Ifonehad6.02x1023atomsatthestart,howmanyatoms
wouldbepresentafter20.0days?

Solution:

20.0/3.6=5.56halflives

(1/2)5.56=0.0213(thedecimalfractionremainingafter5.56halflives)

(6.02x1023)(0.0213)=1.28x1022atomsremain

Problem#3:Os182hasahalflifeof21.5hours.Howmanygramsofa10.0gramsamplewouldhave
decayedafterexactlythreehalflives?

Solution:

(1/2)3=0.125(theamountremainingafter3halflives)

10.0gx0.125=1.25gremain

10.0g1.25g=8.75ghavedecayed

Notethatthelengthofthehalflifeplayednoroleinthiscalculation.Inaddition,notethatthe
questionaskedfortheamountthatdecayed,nottheamountthatremaning.

Problem#4:After24.0days,2.00milligramsofanoriginal128.0milligramsampleremain.Whatisthe
halflifeofthesample?

Solution:

2.00mg/128.0mg=0.015625
 Howmanyhalflivesmusthaveelaspsedtogetto0.015625remaining?

(1/2)n=0.015625
nlog0.5=log0.015625
n=log0.5/log0.015625
n=6

24days/6halflives=4.00days(thelengthofthehalflife)

Video:AnAlternateSolutiontotheAboveProblem

Problem#5:U238hasahalflifeof4.46x109years.HowmuchU238shouldbepresentinasample2.5x
109yearsold,if2.00gramswaspresentinitially?

Solution:

(2.5x109)/(4.46x109)=0.560(thenumberofhalflvesthathaveelapsed)

(1/2)0.560=0.678(thedecimalfractionofU238remaining)

2.00gx0.678=1.36gremain

Problem#6:Howlongwillittakefora40.0gramsampleofI131(halflife=8.040days)todecayto1/100
itsoriginalmass?

Solution:

(1/2)n=0.01

nlog0.5=log0.01

n=6.64

6.64x8.040days=53.4days

Problem#7:Fermium253hasahalflifeof0.334seconds.Aradioactivesampleisconsideredtobe
completelydecayedafter10halflives.Howmuchtimewillelapseforthissampletobeconsideredgone?

Solution:

0.334x10=3.34seconds

Problem#8:Attimezero,thereare10.0gramsofW187.Ifthehalflifeis23.9hours,howmuchwillbe
presentattheendofoneday?Twodays?Sevendays?

Solution:

24.0hr/23.9hr/halflife=1.0042halflives

Oneday=onehalflife(1/2)1.0042=0.4985465remaining=4.98g

Twodays=twohalflives(1/2)2.0084=0.2485486remaining=2.48g

Sevendays=7halflives(1/2)7.0294=0.0076549remaining=0.0765g
Problem#9:100.0gramsofanisotopewithahalflifeof36.0hoursispresentattimezero.Howmuchtime
willhaveelapsedwhen5.00gramsremains?

Solution:

5.00/100.0=0.05(decimalfractionremaining)

(1/2)n=0.05

nlog0.5=log0.05

n=4.32halflives

36.0hoursx4.32=155.6hours

Problem#10:HowmuchtimewillberequiredforasampleofH3tolose75%ofitsradioactivity?The
halflifeoftritiumis12.26years.

Solution:

Ifyoulose75%,then25%remains.Use0.25ratherthan25%.

(1/2)n=0.25

n=2(remember(1/2)2=1/4and1/4=0.25)

12.26x2=24.52years

Comment:themoregeneralexplanationfollows:

(1/2)n=0.25

nlog0.5=log0.25

n=log0.25/log0.5

n=2

Gotointroductoryhalflifediscussion

Gotohalflifeproblems#1125

Gottohalflifeproblems#2640

Gotohalflifeproblemsinvolvingcarbon14

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