Estimate the percentage of radioactive material that remains in a sample after 3 years if the half-life of the material is 261 days. Round to the nearest hundredth of a percent.
A)0.42%
B)5.46%
C)0.97%
D)11.92%
E)28.28%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the percentage of radioactive material remaining, use the formula: Remaining percentage = (1/2)^(time elapsed/half-life). Convert 3 years to days (3*365 = 1095 days). Then, calculate (1/2)^(1095/261) ≈ 0.0546, which is 5.46% when expressed as a percentage.

Estimate the Percentage of Radioactive Material That Remains in a Sample