2006-11-20 08:10:58 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
the time it takes for half of the material to decay
2006-11-20 08:12:23 · answer #1 · answered by pecora2404 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amount of isotope present in the sample will be half it was 150,000 years before. Imagine this. 150,000 years ago. The sample contained 5 grams of the isotope that has half life of 150,000 years. But now it will only have 2.5 grams. After another 150,000 years (300,000) years it will have 1.25 grams of the radioactive isotope left. So after every half life the amount of isotope becomes half. It doesn't (in theory) completely run out. look at the pattern after each half life how much is left 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/128 1/ 256 see it doesn't run out but it gets to be very little of the sample left after 8 half lives.
2016-03-29 03:05:05 · answer #2 · answered by Gail 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a statistical estimate of the average time that it will take for 1/2 the atoms of your radioactive isotope, originally present, to spontaneously radioactively decay.
2006-11-20 08:57:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time it takes for half of the atoms of a radioactive material to release excess energy. For example, Co60 has a half life of 5.27 years, if you start of with 1 curie of Co60 in 5.27years you will have .5 curies of Co60 and the stable isotope of Ni60
2006-11-20 08:40:27 · answer #4 · answered by robertsdgjr 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The half life of a radioactive isotope is the time it takes for half of the original sample to degrade to it's 'daughter' element, which itself may or may not be radioactive.
2006-11-20 08:21:55 · answer #5 · answered by arubislander 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The time it takes for the radiation to be 1/2 strength. Let's say it was 10 years. Then in 10 years it would be 1/2, in 20 years 1/4, in 30 years 1/8, etc.
2006-11-20 08:13:03 · answer #6 · answered by Barkley Hound 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The half-life of a quantity subject to exponential decay is the time required for the quantity to decay to half of its initial value. The concept originated in the study of radioactive decay, but applies to many other fields as well, including phenomena which are described by non-exponential decays.
2006-11-20 08:13:20 · answer #7 · answered by Scotty 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when the isotope emits 1/2 of the radiation ( 1/2 life is relative because when you start to measure it has already emitted for thousands of years so it is not a measure of radiation per say just how fast the material decays to a non-emitter ( or background radiation levels )
2006-11-20 08:13:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not an expert on this topic so I hope this website can give you additional information and help you: http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/isotopes/radioactive_decay3.html
2006-11-20 08:13:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the amount of duct tape needed to save the world is 1 roll
2006-11-20 08:12:59 · answer #10 · answered by smartman_06 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋