Finding the Half Life From Activity

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the half-life of a substance based on provided activity data from a table. Participants are exploring the relationship between initial activity values and the corresponding half-life, with a focus on discrepancies between their calculations and textbook answers.

Discussion Character

  • Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to deduce the half-life by halving the initial activity and comparing their results with a textbook answer. Questions are raised about the relationship between activity measurements and time units, as well as the accuracy of the provided data.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants expressing confusion over differing results and questioning the validity of their interpretations. Some have acknowledged mistakes in their calculations, while others are seeking clarity on the relationship between the activity data and the time frame involved.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted discrepancy between the calculated half-life and the textbook answer, with participants highlighting potential misunderstandings regarding the time units involved in the problem.

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I am meant to deduce the half life from this table (as attached.) I was under the impression that the half life would occur when the initial activity was halved but my answer of 2.34 minutes (from halving the initial activity of 36506) is wrong. Instead, the answer the textbook got was 1 minute. What did I do wrong?
 

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Are you sure these things are related? How can the answer be in minutes when the timing was over hours?
 
The answer was one minute and I got an 2.34 hours (my mistake.) I'm not sure what to do now...
 
The answer of one minute does not match with this question.A quick glance at the table shows the answer is over two hours.
 

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