answersLogoWhite

0

A half life of an element is the time it takes for exactly half of it's mass to be expelled through radiation. So, for instance, the half life of a uranium atom is the time it takes for it to emit a half of it's mass as radiation. Using the half life of an atom and a given percentage of decay, you could determine the time that has passed. Take atom X, with a half life of 100 days. 40% of it has decayed from it's original mass. If 50% decays over 100 days, 40% (4/5ths of 50) will decay over 80 days (4/5th of 100).

User Avatar

Wiki User

∙ 17y ago
User Avatar

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

How do you calculate the age of a bone when half-life is known?

To calculate the age of a bone using its half-life, you first determine the amount of the radioactive isotope remaining in the bone compared to the original amount. Then, you use the half-life of the isotope to find out how many half-lives have elapsed, which can be calculated using the formula: ( \text{Age} = \text{Half-life} \times n ), where ( n ) is the number of half-lives. By knowing how much of the isotope remains, you can calculate ( n ) using logarithmic functions to solve for the age of the bone.


How much thorium in grams is there in 2 half lives?

To calculate the amount of thorium remaining after 2 half-lives, you use the formula: amount = initial amount * (1/2)^n, where n is the number of half-lives. If we assume the initial amount is 1 gram, after 2 half-lives, there would be 0.25 grams of thorium remaining.


How many half lifes with in plutonium?

Plutonium-239, a common isotope of plutonium, has a half-life of about 24,100 years. To calculate the number of half-lives, divide the total time by the half-life. For example, in 48,200 years, there would be 2 half-lives.


Why is radioactive decay measured in half lifes?

The half-life forms a type of clock used to calculate time passed.


The half-life of carbon-14 is 5370 years. The carbon-14 levels in a fossil indicate that 6 half-lives have passed. How old is the fossil?

If the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,370 years and 6 half-lives have passed, you can calculate the age of the fossil by multiplying the half-life by the number of half-lives: 5,370 years × 6 = 32,220 years. Therefore, the fossil is approximately 32,220 years old.


Calculate how many half lives have passed in a rock containing one-eighth the original radioactive material and seven eighths of the of the daughter product?

1/8 = (1/2)3 which is in the form (1/2)n where n is the number of half lives undergone. Therefore the substance has passed three half lives


How The Other Half Lives was created?

How the Other Half Lives was created in 1890.


When was How the Other Half Lives created?

How the Other Half Lives was created in 1890.


How many half-lives have passed?

To determine how many half-lives have passed, you would need to divide the total time passed by the half-life of the substance. The result would give you the number of half-lives that have occurred.


What percentage do you have after 2 half lives?

After 2 half-lives, you would have 25% of the original amount remaining. Each half-life reduces the amount by half, so after two half-lives, you would have 25% left (50% reduced by half twice).


What fraction of a radioactive sample remains after three half lives?

Not sure what you mean by "had-lives". After 3 half lives, approx 1/8 would remain.


How many 14.0-day half-lives occur in 84.0days?

To find out how many 14.0-day half-lives occur in 84.0 days, you can divide the total time by the length of one half-life. So, 84.0 days ÷ 14.0 days/half-life = 6 half-lives. Therefore, there are 6 half-lives in 84.0 days.