Consider a radioisotope "X" with a half-life of 46.1 years. Determine (to the nearest 0.1 mg) how much of a 1000 mg sample of "X" remains after a period of 322.7 years (show all work).

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10th Edition
ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Chapter1: Chemical Foundations
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**Problem Statement:**

Consider a radioisotope "X" with a half-life of 46.1 years. Determine (to the nearest 0.1 mg) how much of a 1000 mg sample of "X" remains after a period of 322.7 years (show all work).

**Solution Explanation:**

To solve this problem, we will use the concept of half-life, which is the time required for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay.

**Step-by-Step Calculation:**

1. **Calculate the Number of Half-lives:**

   \[
   \text{Number of half-lives} = \frac{\text{Total time elapsed}}{\text{Half-life of the isotope}} = \frac{322.7 \text{ years}}{46.1 \text{ years/half-life}}
   \]

2. **Determine Remaining Amount:**

   Use the formula for exponential decay:

   \[
   \text{Remaining amount} = \text{Initial amount} \times \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{\text{Number of half-lives}}
   \]

   Substituting in the values:

   - Initial amount = 1000 mg
   - Calculated number of half-lives from step 1

3. **Find the Answer:**

   Calculate the remaining mass of the sample after the given time period and round to the nearest 0.1 mg.
Transcribed Image Text:**Problem Statement:** Consider a radioisotope "X" with a half-life of 46.1 years. Determine (to the nearest 0.1 mg) how much of a 1000 mg sample of "X" remains after a period of 322.7 years (show all work). **Solution Explanation:** To solve this problem, we will use the concept of half-life, which is the time required for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay. **Step-by-Step Calculation:** 1. **Calculate the Number of Half-lives:** \[ \text{Number of half-lives} = \frac{\text{Total time elapsed}}{\text{Half-life of the isotope}} = \frac{322.7 \text{ years}}{46.1 \text{ years/half-life}} \] 2. **Determine Remaining Amount:** Use the formula for exponential decay: \[ \text{Remaining amount} = \text{Initial amount} \times \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^{\text{Number of half-lives}} \] Substituting in the values: - Initial amount = 1000 mg - Calculated number of half-lives from step 1 3. **Find the Answer:** Calculate the remaining mass of the sample after the given time period and round to the nearest 0.1 mg.
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