Question

In 36 hours the amount of radioactive substance has reduced from 80 mg to 10 mg. What is the half-life of this isotope?

Answer 1

Half-life refers to the time taken for half of the atoms in a radioactive substance to decay. Therefore in 1 half-life the 80 mg of substance will reduce to 40 mg. In another half-life it will reduce from 40 mg to 20 mg, then in a third half-life from 20 mg to 10 mg. Therefore the half-life is equal to the total time taken to decay from 80 mg to 10 mg divided by 3:
t(1/2) = 36 hours / 3 = 12 hours.