Final answer:
To calculate the mass of 40K that must be inside the woman's body to produce a dose of 16 mrem/y, you can use the formula Mass = Dose / (Dose Rate x Time). By plugging in the values, the mass of 40K is approximately 7.74 x 10^-4 grams.
Step-by-step explanation:
Radiation Dose Calculation
To calculate the mass of 40K that must be inside the woman's body to produce a dose of 16 mrem/y, we need to use the equation:
Dose = Dose Rate x Time x Mass
Given that the dose rate is 16 mrem/y, we can rearrange the formula to solve for mass:
Mass = Dose / (Dose Rate x Time)
Plugging in the values, we have:
Mass = 16 mrem/y / (16 mrem/y x 1 year)
Converting the units to grams, we get:
Mass ≈ 7.74 x 10^-4 g
Therefore, the mass of 40K inside the woman's body that produces a dose of 16 mrem/y is approximately 7.74 x 10^-4 grams.