Best way to calculate half life?

Question

What is the best way to calculate half life (trying to calculate mRNA decay)? Plot normal data plots on a semilog graph and then use exponential regression or plot log values on a semilog graph and use linear regression? Or another way?

Answer 1

The table at right shows the reduction of the quantity in terms of the number of half-lives elapsed.

It can be shown that, for exponential decay, the half-life t1 / 2 obeys this relation:

t1/2 = ln2 / lambda

where lambda is the decay constant of the material

ln(2) is the natural logarithm of 2, and
λ is the decay constant, a positive constant used to describe the rate of exponential decay.

See-: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_life

Answer 2

Halve lives are already calculated for you. You look up the half life and then you know in how many hours, days, or weeks it takes for that isotope to get to that half life. Once it reaches that half life, then you can calculate again when the activity will be halved, this time the activity will be one quarter the amount of the initial.

Answer 3

use linear exponential regression

Answer 4

Dude relax have a drink listen to some smooth jazz rap or hard core rock and chill out.