- #1
audax
- 1
- 0
Hello,
I have a relatively simple question. I'm just wondering, with half-life problems, how could I solve something like the following:
Isotope: 226Ra
Half-life: 1620 years.
Initial Quantity: X (Solve for this)
Amount after 1000 years: 1.5g
Where I'm supposed to find the initial quantity.
Wouldn't a part of the equation be something like: .5 = e^1620r, where r is the rate of decay? I'm using natural log to try to get the rate: ( ln(.5) / 1620 ) = r
When I punch that into the calculator, I get huge number and it leads me to believe that I'm messing up somewhere.
I have a relatively simple question. I'm just wondering, with half-life problems, how could I solve something like the following:
Isotope: 226Ra
Half-life: 1620 years.
Initial Quantity: X (Solve for this)
Amount after 1000 years: 1.5g
Where I'm supposed to find the initial quantity.
Wouldn't a part of the equation be something like: .5 = e^1620r, where r is the rate of decay? I'm using natural log to try to get the rate: ( ln(.5) / 1620 ) = r
When I punch that into the calculator, I get huge number and it leads me to believe that I'm messing up somewhere.