If an Elements has a half life of 20mins what is the radioactive decay of a 200gram sample?
To calculate the radioactive decay of a sample, we need to know the half-life of the element and the initial mass of the sample. In this case, the half-life of the element is given as 20 minutes, and the initial mass of the sample is 200 grams.
The equation that describes radioactive decay is given as:
N(t) = N₀ * (1/2)^(t/t₁/₂)
where:
N(t) is the remaining quantity of the substance after time t
N₀ is the initial quantity of the substance
t is the time that has passed
t₁/₂ is the half-life of the substance
In this case, we want to find the remaining quantity of the substance after the half-life (20 minutes). So we substitute the values into the equation:
N(20) = 200 * (1/2)^(20/20)
Simplifying the equation, we have:
N(20) = 200 * (1/2)^1
N(20) = 200 * (1/2)
N(20) = 100
Therefore, the radioactive decay of a 200-gram sample over 20 minutes is 100 grams.