A hospital patient has been given ¹³¹I (half-life = 8.04 days),which decays at 4.2 times the acceptable level for exposure to the general public.How long must the patient wait to reach the acceptable level? Assume that the material merely decays and is not excreted.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The decay of a radioactive substance is exponential. If the initial decay rate is 4.2 times the acceptable level, we need to find the time it takes for the decay rate to reduce to 1 times the acceptable level. Using the formula for exponential decay, N(t) = N0 * (1/2)^(t/T), where T is the half-life, we solve for t when N(t)/N0 = 1/4.2. This gives t ≈ 17 days.

A Hospital Patient Has Been Given 131I (Half-Life = 8

A Hospital Patient Has Been Given ¹³¹I (Half-Life = 8