Cobalt - 60 has a half-life equal tO₅ .3 years. What fraction of cobalt - 60 remains undecayed after 21.2 years?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the fraction of Cobalt-60 that remains after 21.2 years, we use the formula for radioactive decay, which involves the half-life of the substance. The half-life of Cobalt-60 is 5.3 years. To find out how many half-lives have passed in 21.2 years, we divide 21.2 by 5.3, which gives us exactly 4 half-lives. After each half-life, half of the substance remains, so after 4 half-lives, we calculate the remaining fraction as (1/2)^4 = 1/16 = 0.0625.

Cobalt - 60 Has a Half-Life Equal TO5

Cobalt - 60 Has a Half-Life Equal TO₅