High School

We appreciate your visit to 160 mg of radioactive metal X is used in the laboratory The half life is measured to be 80 minutes A What is the mass. This page offers clear insights and highlights the essential aspects of the topic. Our goal is to provide a helpful and engaging learning experience. Explore the content and find the answers you need!

160 mg of radioactive metal X is used in the laboratory. The half-life is measured to be 80 minutes.

A. What is the mass of this radioactive metal remaining after 6 hours?

B. How long does it take to reduce the mass to 1.25 mg?

Answer :

Final answer:

After 6 hours, the mass of the radioactive metal X would be 5 mg. It would take approximately 796 minutes to reduce the mass of the radioactive metal to 1.25 mg.

Explanation:

In radioactive decay, the concept of half-life is used to determine the amount of radioactive material that remains after a certain period of time. The half-life is the time it takes for half of the radioactive material to decay. In this case, the half-life of metal X is 80 minutes.


A. What is the mass of this radioactive metal remaining after 6 hours?

To determine the mass remaining after 6 hours, we need to convert the given time into minutes. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, 6 hours is equal to 6 x 60 = 360 minutes.
Next, we can use the half-life information to calculate the number of half-life periods that have passed in 360 minutes. Dividing 360 by 80, we find that approximately 4.5 half-lives have passed.

To calculate the mass remaining after 4.5 half-lives, we can use the formula: remaining mass = initial mass * (1/2)^(number of half-lives).

Given that the initial mass is 160 mg, we can calculate the remaining mass as follows:

Remaining mass = 160 * (1/2)^(4.5) = 160 * 0.03125 = 5 mg.

Therefore, the mass of the radioactive metal remaining after 6 hours is 5 mg.

B. How long does it take to reduce the mass to 1.25 mg?

To determine the time it takes to reduce the mass to 1.25 mg, we can use a similar approach. We'll use the formula: number of half-lives = log0.5(final mass/initial mass).

Substituting the given values, we have:

number of half-lives = log0.5(1.25/160) = log0.5(0.0078125).

Using a scientific calculator, we can find that the number of half-lives is approximately 9.95.

To convert the number of half-lives into minutes, we multiply it by the half-life time of 80 minutes:

time = 9.95 * 80 = 796 minutes.

Therefore, it takes approximately 796 minutes to reduce the mass of the radioactive metal to 1.25 mg.

Thanks for taking the time to read 160 mg of radioactive metal X is used in the laboratory The half life is measured to be 80 minutes A What is the mass. We hope the insights shared have been valuable and enhanced your understanding of the topic. Don�t hesitate to browse our website for more informative and engaging content!

Rewritten by : Barada