The number of a certain radioactive nuclide present in a sample decays from 2.2 *10² to 6.2 *10¹ in 29 minutes. What is the half-life of this radioactive species? A) 2.0 *10¹ minutes B) 4.4 *10^-² minutes C) 1.6 * 10¹ minutes D) 7.1 *10¹ minutes E) 3.7 minutes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the formula for radioactive decay:

N = N0 * (1/2)^(t/T)

where N is the final amount, N0 is the initial amount, t is the time elapsed, and T is the half-life.

Plugging in the given values:
N0 = 2.2 * 10^10
N = 6.2 * 10^10
t = 29 minutes

Rearranging the formula and solving for T, we get:
T = t / (log2(N0/N))

Plugging in the values, we get:
T = 1.6 minutes

Therefore, the half-life of the radioactive species is 1.6 minutes.

The answer is choice C.

The Number of a Certain Radioactive Nuclide Present in a Sample