Final answer:
The half-life of N-16 is calculated by dividing the total elapsed time (44.4 seconds) by the number of half-lives to reduce from 40g to 10g, which is 2. The half-life is therefore 22.2 seconds.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the half-life of N-16, we start with a 40g sample and note that it decays to 10g in 44.4 seconds.
Because the amount remaining is 1/4 of the original, we have gone through two half-lives.
We can calculate the half-life (T1/2) by dividing the elapsed time by the number of half-lives that have passed, which in this case is 2.
Half-life calculation:
- Total time elapsed: 44.4 seconds
- Number of half-lives (n): 44.4 s ÷ T1/2 = 2
- Solving for T1/2:
- T1/2 = 44.4 s ÷ 2 =
- 22.2 seconds
Therefore, the half-life of N-16 is 22.2 seconds.