Chapter 18, Problem 29QRT

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Mass of iron-59 sample that remains after 1 year has to be calculated if the half-life of iron-59 is 44.5 days.

Concept Introduction:

For a radioactive isotope, the relative instability is expressed in terms of half-life.  Half-life is the time required for half of the given quantity of the radioisotope to undergo radioactive decay.  Half-life of the radioactive isotope is independent of the quantity of the radioactive isotope.  Half-life of a radioactive isotope can be expressed as,

    $t_{1/2}=\frac{\text{0}\text{.693}}{k}$