Eg. 'lamda' will be '\lamda'.Radioactivity: What is the Activity After One Week?

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In summary, the radioactuve isotope with a half-life of 1.6x10^5 s disintegrates to form a stable product. After one week, the activity of the sample has decreased by 1822Bq.
  • #1
ibysaiyan
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Homework Statement



Hi,
The question itself doesn't sound too complicated i some-how got the asnwer,just wondering if its correct or not.

Question is:A radioactuve isotope wuith a half-life of 1.6x10^5 s disintegrates to form a stable product.A pure sample of 'x' is prepared with an initial activity of 25000Bq.
Caclulate the activity of the sample after week one.

Homework Equations


A= Ao e^-lamdba (t)
T(1/2)= Ln2 /lamda.

The Attempt at a Solution


I used initial activity as 25k bq now i thought activity to be in /s? i don't know here is what I've done.
A= Ao e^-lamdba (t)
LnA = LnA0 - (lamda)x T
LnA = ln(25000)-(4.33x10^-6 x 604.8x10^3)
A = 1822. <--- would the units be in s^-1?

Again thanks for your input =}.
 
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  • #2
why don't you use latex for equation..it will be easier to read latex equations..just you use tex tags before and after equations..Also use a single equation instead of multiple equations for e.g.,
[tex]
A=A_0\exp\left(\frac{-t\ln2}{T_{1/2}}\right)
[/tex]
Bq is SI unit for radioactivity. i.e. disintegrations per second..or it just same..Bq is same as per second or s-1.
here t = 1 week.
 
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  • #3
Rajini said:
why don't you use latex for equation..it will be easier to read latex equations..just you use tex tags before and after equations..Also use a single equation instead of multiple equations for e.g.,
[tex]
A=A_0\exp\left(\frac{-t\ln2}{T_{1/2}}\right)
[/tex]
Bq is SI unit for radioactivity. i.e. disintegrations per second..or it just same..Bq is same as per second or s-1.
here t = 1 week.

Ah you see i am not familiar with latex usage. I know how useful it is to both OP and thread posters. Anyhow it seems that its correct?Thanks a zillion for your reply!.Thing is i got 14 exams in under 60 days and i am after A* grade i love astrophysics! So i need to get those grades! Sorry went kinda offtopic.I will be posting more questions later these were pretty basic given off by my teacher today.Just trying to be extra-cautious.
ibysaiyan/
 
  • #4
I think the equations you write..for eg., in your 1st eqn.
you just need to use tex before and /tex after the eqn. inside [ ] that is enough..for lambda use '\' before it..
 

Related to Eg. 'lamda' will be '\lamda'.Radioactivity: What is the Activity After One Week?

1. What is radioactivity?

Radioactivity is the spontaneous emission of particles or energy from an unstable atomic nucleus. This process occurs when an atom has an excess of either protons or neutrons, making it unstable and causing it to emit radiation in order to become more stable.

2. What are the different types of radiation?

The three main types of radiation are alpha, beta, and gamma. Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons and have the lowest penetrating power. Beta particles are electrons emitted from the nucleus and have a higher penetrating power than alpha particles. Gamma rays are high-energy photons with no mass or charge and have the highest penetrating power.

3. How is radioactivity measured?

The unit of measurement for radioactivity is the becquerel (Bq), which represents one decay per second. Another common unit is the curie (Ci), which represents 3.7 x 10^10 decays per second. The amount of radioactivity can also be measured in terms of the amount of radiation absorbed by a material, which is measured in units of radiation dose such as gray (Gy) or sievert (Sv).

4. What are the potential dangers of radioactivity?

Exposure to high levels of radioactivity can damage living cells and cause radiation sickness, which can lead to various health problems including cancer. However, low levels of exposure to radioactivity are common in our environment and are generally not harmful to human health. The level of danger from radioactivity depends on the type of radiation, the dose received, and the duration of exposure.

5. How is radioactivity used in everyday life?

Radioactivity has a variety of practical uses in our everyday lives. It is used in medical imaging techniques such as X-rays and PET scans, as well as in cancer treatments. It is also used in smoke detectors, food preservation, and to generate electricity in nuclear power plants. Additionally, radioisotopes are used in various industries for sterilization, quality control, and research purposes.

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