Plutonium has a decay rate of 0.003% per year. What is the half life?
A) 2310 years
B) 23,100 years
C) 33,000 years
D) 1630 years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The half-life of a substance is the time it takes for half of the initial amount to decay. To find the half-life of plutonium, we can use the formula:
t1/2 = (ln 2) / λ
where λ is the decay constant, which is equal to the decay rate expressed as a fraction (0.003/100 = 0.00003), and ln 2 is the natural logarithm of 2 (0.693). Substituting gives:
t1/2 = 0.693 / 0.00003 = 23,100 years
Therefore, the answer is B.

Plutonium Has a Decay Rate of 0