How many times did the original sample lose 50% of its radioactivity ?
-- Start with. . . . . . . . . . . . 12 grams.
-- Lose half of it once. . . . . . 6 grams left.
-- Lose half of it again . . . . . 3 grams left.
-- Lose half of it again . . . . . 1.5 grams left.
-- Lose half of it again . . . . . 0.75 gram left.
-- How many times did it lose half ? 4 times.
-- How long does it take to lose half ? 4.5 days.
(That's why it's called the 'half-life'.)
-- How long did it take to lose half, 4 times ?
(4 x 4.5 days) = 18 days .