What is the decay constant of a radioactive element whose half-life is 3 seconds
Answer Details
The decay constant (λ) is a measure of the probability that a radioactive nucleus will decay per unit time. It is related to the half-life (t1/2) of the radioactive element by the equation: λ = ln(2) / t1/2 where ln(2) is the natural logarithm of 2, which is approximately 0.693. Substituting the given half-life of 3 seconds into the equation, we have: λ = ln(2) / 3 s λ ≈ 0.231s-1 Therefore, the decay constant of the radioactive element is approximately 0.231s-1. The option closest to this value is 0.23s-1.