i know that the half life of strontium 90 half-life is 28.8 but how can i explain this???
over 28.8 years, half of it breaks down into other isotopes, elements and particles. Over the next 28.8 years, half of that half breaks down so we have 1/4. In another 28.8 years half of the quarter breaks down so we have 1/8 of the original etc.
The decay is known as beta- decay whereby a proton in the nucleus emits an electron thereby becoming a neutron reducing the atomic number by one.
The half-life of strontium-90 is the time it takes for half of the original quantity of strontium-90 to decay. In this case, the half-life is 28.8 years.
To explain this concept, let's break it down step by step:
1. Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope, which means it spontaneously undergoes radioactive decay over time.
2. The rate of decay of strontium-90 is constant. This means that a specific fraction of the strontium-90 atoms will decay over a given time period.
3. The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time it takes for half of the original quantity to decay. In the case of strontium-90, every 28.8 years, half of the strontium-90 atoms present will decay into other elements.
4. It's important to note that the other half of strontium-90 atoms that haven't yet decayed after one half-life will continue to decay in subsequent half-lives. So after the first half-life, half of the original quantity remains. After the second half-life, half of the remaining quantity will decay, leaving only one-fourth of the original amount, and so on.
To summarize, the half-life of strontium-90 refers to the time it takes for half of the original quantity of the isotope to decay, which is approximately 28.8 years in this case. This concept helps scientists understand and predict the decay rate of radioactive substances.