Question

Given specimens neon-24 (t1/2 = 3.38 min) and bismuth-211 (t1/2 = 2.14 min) of equal mass, which one would have greater activity and why?

a) Neon-24 due to its longer half-life.
b) Bismuth-211 due to its shorter half-life.
c) Both would exhibit equal activity.
d) Neither would exhibit significant activity.

Answer 1

Bismuth-211 would have greater activity than neon-24 due to its shorter half-life, causing it to decay at a faster rate.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing the respective activities of neon-24 with a half-life of 3.38 minutes and bismuth-211 with a half-life of 2.14 minutes, it's important to understand how half-life affects radioactivity. The activity of a radioactive substance is inversely proportional to its half-life for a given quantity of the substance. That means the shorter the half-life, the greater the activity, assuming an equal mass of two isotopes.

Thus, the answer to the question is (b) Bismuth-211 due to its shorter half-life. Bismuth-211 will have greater activity because it decays more rapidly than neon-24.