Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years.What proportion of its original radioactivity will a sample have after 2 years?
A)0.01
B)0.89
C)0.37
D)0.16
E)0.25

Question

Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years.What proportion of its original radioactivity will a sample have after 2 years?
A)0.01
B)0.89
C)0.37
D)0.16
E)​0.25

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The proportion of original radioactivity remaining after a certain time can be calculated using the formula: $N = N_0 \times (1/2)^{(t/T)}$, where $N$ is the remaining quantity, $N_0$ is the initial quantity, $t$ is the elapsed time, and $T$ is the half-life. Plugging in the values for tritium ($T = 12.3$ years, $t = 2$ years), we get $N/N_0 = (1/2)^{(2/12.3)}$. This calculation results in a value close to 0.89, indicating that after 2 years, a sample of tritium retains approximately 89% of its original radioactivity.

Tritium Has a Half-Life of 12