Rutherfordium-261 has a half-life of 1.08 min.How long will it take for a sample of rutherfordium to lose one-third of its nuclei?
A) 1.02 min
B) 1.62 min
C) 0.632 min
D) 2.70 min
E) 3.24 min

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the time it takes for a sample to lose one-third of its nuclei, we use the decay formula: N(t) = N0 * (1/2)^(t/T), where T is the half-life. If one-third of the nuclei are lost, two-thirds remain: N(t) = (2/3)N0. Solving (2/3) = (1/2)^(t/1.08) gives t ≈ 0.632 min.

Rutherfordium-261 Has a Half-Life of 1