Monday, February 28, 2011

Calculate how much of a 1 gram radium sample will remain after 1000 years? The half life of radium is approximately 1600 years.

Given the half life of any substance the remaining
quantity of any substance remaining after a specified period is given by the following
formula:


Qt =
i*(0.5)^(t/h)


Where:


Qt =
Quantity remaining after time t


Q = Initial
quantity


t = Actual time
elapsed


h = half life


In the
given problem:


Q = 1 gram


t =
1000 years


h = 1600
years


Applying these values to the equation for remaining
quantity we get:


Qt = 1*(0.5)^(1000/1600) = 0.5^(1/1.6) =
0.5^0.625


= 0.6484197 = 0.64842 gram
(approximately)


Answer:


0.64842
gram of radium sample will remain after 1 year.

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