Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Iodine-131 is used to treat the thyroid. Its half-life is , and its decay follows a first order law. A hospital receives a sample with an activity of . What is the activity after ? How long must the sample be kept for the activity to fall to ?
For a first order reaction, , and the fraction left after half-lives is . For a zero order reaction, . In a pseudo first order reaction, .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. After . The number of half-lives is . The activity is .
Step 2. To . The factor is . That is 4 half-lives, so .
Check. At the sample is between 2 and 3 half-lives old. The activity is between and . We found , which is in that range.
Answer: after , and to reach .
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…