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isotope decay
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:55 am
by Big23
The isotope caesium -137, which has a half life of 30 years, is a product of nuclear power plants. How long will it take for the amount of this isotope in a sample caesium to decay to one-sixteenth of its original amount? Any help gratefully recieved.
Re: isotope decay
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:03 pm
by chempass
Big23 wrote:The isotope caesium -137, which has a half life of 30 years, is a product of nuclear power plants. How long will it take for the amount of this isotope in a sample caesium to decay to one-sixteenth of its original amount? Any help gratefully recieved.
Since 1/16 = (1/2)^4, it will take 4 half-life intervals to decay to that amount, that is 120 years.