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if a sample contains 50 grams of carbon 1-4 and 50 grams of nitrogen-14, how many half lives has it undergone

User Paloma
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Final answer:

The number of half-lives that a sample has undergone can be determined by dividing the amount of time that has passed by the half-life of the element.

Step-by-step explanation:

The half-life of a sample is the time required for half of its radioactive isotopes to decay. In non-radioactive contexts, it refers to the time needed for a substance to reduce by half. This concept is crucial in understanding decay processes and estimating the stability or persistence of substances.

The number of half-lives that a sample has undergone can be determined by dividing the amount of time that has passed by the half-life of the element. In this case, the half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. To find the number of half-lives, you can divide the total time by the half-life. For example, if 10.0% of a sample of carbon-14 has decayed, it means that it has undergone one half-life.

User El Zorko
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what the hack
still looking up

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