Eg. 'lamda' will be '\lamda'.Radioactivity: What is the Activity After One Week?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem in radioactivity, specifically calculating the activity of a radioactive isotope after one week given its half-life and initial activity. The original poster presents their calculations and seeks validation of their approach.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply the formula for radioactive decay, questioning the units of their final answer. Other participants suggest using LaTeX for clarity in equations and confirm the relationship between Bq and disintegrations per second.

Discussion Status

Participants are engaging in clarifying the use of equations and units. While the original poster expresses uncertainty about their calculations, they receive encouragement and suggestions for improving the presentation of their work. There is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the original poster's answer.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions a tight study schedule and a focus on achieving high grades, indicating time constraints that may affect their engagement with the material. They also express a desire to ensure their understanding is correct before moving forward.

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Homework Statement



Hi,
The question itself doesn't sound too complicated i some-how got the asnwer,just wondering if its correct or not.

Question is:A radioactuve isotope wuith a half-life of 1.6x10^5 s disintegrates to form a stable product.A pure sample of 'x' is prepared with an initial activity of 25000Bq.
Caclulate the activity of the sample after week one.

Homework Equations


A= Ao e^-lamdba (t)
T(1/2)= Ln2 /lamda.

The Attempt at a Solution


I used initial activity as 25k bq now i thought activity to be in /s? i don't know here is what I've done.
A= Ao e^-lamdba (t)
LnA = LnA0 - (lamda)x T
LnA = ln(25000)-(4.33x10^-6 x 604.8x10^3)
A = 1822. <--- would the units be in s^-1?

Again thanks for your input =}.
 
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why don't you use latex for equation..it will be easier to read latex equations..just you use tex tags before and after equations..Also use a single equation instead of multiple equations for e.g.,
<br /> A=A_0\exp\left(\frac{-t\ln2}{T_{1/2}}\right)<br />
Bq is SI unit for radioactivity. i.e. disintegrations per second..or it just same..Bq is same as per second or s-1.
here t = 1 week.
 
Last edited:
Rajini said:
why don't you use latex for equation..it will be easier to read latex equations..just you use tex tags before and after equations..Also use a single equation instead of multiple equations for e.g.,
<br /> A=A_0\exp\left(\frac{-t\ln2}{T_{1/2}}\right)<br />
Bq is SI unit for radioactivity. i.e. disintegrations per second..or it just same..Bq is same as per second or s-1.
here t = 1 week.

Ah you see i am not familiar with latex usage. I know how useful it is to both OP and thread posters. Anyhow it seems that its correct?Thanks a zillion for your reply!.Thing is i got 14 exams in under 60 days and i am after A* grade i love astrophysics! So i need to get those grades! Sorry went kinda offtopic.I will be posting more questions later these were pretty basic given off by my teacher today.Just trying to be extra-cautious.
ibysaiyan/
 
I think the equations you write..for eg., in your 1st eqn.
you just need to use tex before and /tex after the eqn. inside [ ] that is enough..for lambda use '\' before it..
 

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