Question Details

The half-life of a radioactive nuclide is 100 hours. The fraction of original activity that will remain after 150 hours would be :

Options

A

1/2√ 2

B

2/3

C

2/3√ 2

D

1/2

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option A

1/2√ 2

1/2√2

Solution :

The correct option is 1/2√2.

Step-by-step Derivation and Explanation:

Radioactive decay follows first-order kinetics. The relationship between the remaining activity of a radioactive sample and its initial activity after a certain time is given by the formula:

AA0 = 12 n

where:
- A is the activity remaining after time t.
- A0 is the initial activity at t=0.
- AA0 is the fraction of original activity that remains.
- n is the number of half-lives that have elapsed.

Step 1: Calculate the number of half-lives (n)
The number of half-lives is the total elapsed time divided by the half-life duration:

n = tT1/2

Given:
- Half-life, T1/2=100 hours
- Total time, t=150 hours

Substituting these values:

n = 150100 = 32 = 1.5

Step 2: Calculate the remaining fraction
Substitute the value of n back into the fraction formula:

AA0 = 12 32

This expression can be simplified as follows:

12 32 = 13/223/2 = 123

Since 23=8, we have:

18 = 142 = 122

Thus, the fraction of the original activity remaining after 150 hours is 122.

Unlock Our Free Library

Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.

Ask AI Tutor
5 left
Q1 View Question & Options
AI Tutor is solving this question...
Reading question context & options...