What is the decay constant of a radioactive element whose half-life is 3 seconds

Assessment: WAEC SSCE - Physics - 1996 (Objective) Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

0.132s^-1

0.23s^-1

0.347s^-1

0.693s^-1

0.924s^-1

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 (t_1/2) of the radioactive element by the equation: λ = ln(2) / t_1/2 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.

Read lesson note on Structure Of The Atom (Nigeria Only) (WAEC)

Structure Of The Atom (Nigeria Only)

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What is the decay constant of a radioactive element whose half-life is 3 seconds

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