If the decay constant of a radioactive substance is 0.231s1, the half-life is?

Assessment: JAMB UTME - Physics - 2009 Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

If the decay constant of a radioactive substance is 0.231s1, the half-life is?
Answer Details
The decay constant of a radioactive substance is defined as the probability of decay per unit time. The half-life of a substance is defined as the time it takes for half of the initial quantity of the substance to decay. The relationship between the decay constant (λ) and the half-life (t1/2) is given by: t1/2 = ln(2) / λ where ln(2) is the natural logarithm of 2, which is approximately 0.693. Substituting the given value of the decay constant (λ = 0.231 s-1) into the above equation gives: t1/2 = ln(2) / 0.231 s-1 ≈ 3.00 s Therefore, the half-life of the substance is approximately 3.00 seconds. So, the correct option is: 3.00 s.

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning