Question

Cesium-137 undergoes beta decay and has a half-life of 30.0 years. How many beta particles are emitted by a 14.0-g sample of cesium-137 in three minutes?

Answer 1

Answer: $0.81\times 10^{16}$ beta particles

Explanation:

$\text{Number of moles}=\frac{\text{Given mass}}{\text{Molar mass}}$

Given mass = 14.0 g

Molar mass = 137 g/mol

$\text{Number of moles of cesium}=\frac{14.0g}{137g/mol}=0.102moles$

According to avogadro's law, 1 mole of every substance weighs equal to its molecular mass and contains avogadro's number $6.023\times 10^{23}$ of particles.

1 mole of cesium contains atoms =  $6.023\times 10^{23}$

0.102 moles of cesium contains atoms =  $\frac{6.023\times 10^{23}}{1}\times 0.102=0.614\times 10^{23}$

The relation of atoms with time for radioactivbe decay is:

$N_t=N_0\times \frac{1}{2}^{\frac{t}{t_{\frac{1}{2}}}}$

Where $N_t$ =atoms left undecayed

$N_0$ = initial atoms

t = time taken for decay = 3 minutes

${t_{\frac{1}{2}}}$ = half life = 30.0 years = $1.577\times 10^7$ minutes

The fraction that decays  :  $1-(\frac{1}{2})^{\frac{3}{1.577\times 10^7}}=1.32\times 10^{-7}$

Amount of particles that decay is  = $0.614\times 10^{23}\times 1.32\times 10^{-7}=0.81\times 10^{16}$

Thus $0.81\times 10^{16}$ beta particles are emitted by a 14.0-g sample of cesium-137 in three minutes.