Question

How much of a radioactive parent isotope will remain after three half-lives have passed?

Answer 1

After three half lives have passed, there would be only 12.5 percent of the original amount of a radioactive parent isotope that will remain. Half life is the time needed for a certain amount of a substance to be half its initial amount. It is a common term used in nuclear chemistry describing how fast radioactive substances undergo decay. One half life would correspond to only 50% would be left. Two half lives would be 25% only of the original value. Three half lives would be 12.5%. Four half lives would be 6.25% of the initial value. So on and so forth.